April 2, 2024

HON. VICTOR MA. REGIS N. SOTTO

City Mayor
Government of Pasig City

Attention: MR. RECHIE J. TUGAWIN

Executive Assistance Office of the Mayor

Attention: MR. MARIO GALVEZ

CSO Desk Officer/Point Person

Subject: SPACES Program Conduct of Regional Convention on Social Accountability

Initiatives of Civil Society Organizations on April 12, 2024 at Legazpi, Albay.

Dear Mayor Sotto:

Greetings! I hope this letter finds you well.

Project SPACES (Strengthening Participation and Accountability Through Civil Society

Organizations and Engagement with Subnational and National Government) is a project of
AGREA Foundation, Galing Pook and Oxfam Pilipinas, with the support of the Australian
Government. The project will contribute to citizens and public decision-makers at
subnational level working together to enact and implement policies that reduce inequalities
and accelerate economic and social recovery from the pandemic. It hopes to strengthen the
collaboration and linkages along the CSO-LGU-NG nexus. Specifically, the project will focus
on promoting food security and nutrition policy reforms at the subnational level to find ways
to bring local government best practice policy and practice to nationwide scale.

At the core of the Project SPACES strategy is strengthening the coordination and
collaboration between CSOs and Local Governments in the co-creation of the policy reform
agenda and in forming social accountability mechanisms that establish feedback loops from
CSOs to government to make duty-bearers held into account by active and empowered
communities.

In line with this, we want to inform your good office that there will be a Regional Convention
on Social Accountability Initiatives of Civil Society Organizations. Learning Objectives and
Goals of the Convention are as follows:
 Civil Society Organization leaders will have:

1. Assessed best practices on concrete steps taken on social accountability

mechanisms/initiatives (Community Scorecard, People’s Agenda, and Interface Dialogue).
2. Outlined and shared key learnings and concrete steps taken in the past 6 months
(October 2023 – March 2024) in relation to social accountability.
3. Able to outline concrete next steps in institutionalizing/practicing social accountability
mechanisms within their own CSO group, or lobby in local People’s Council for LGU
consideration.
4. Community visioning on: What’s next for CSOs?

The target invited participants are: CSO Representatives/Leaders who participated

during the Social Accountability Training Roll-out. 4 CSO leaders from your area. Our
team will directly communicate with the identified contact person of each CSO.

These are our proposed tentative schedules and time;

Day and Session Topic and Content Facilitator

Time
DAY 0: TRAVEL FROM MUNICIPALITIES TO VENUE
WELCOME DINNER
DAY 1
8:00 - 8:30 AM Registration SPACES Team (Oxfam and AGREA)

8:30 - 8:40 AM Prayer/Preliminaries and Presentation of SPACES Team (Oxfam and AGREA)
Program Flow
8:40 - 8:45 AM Welcome Message Oxfam Pilipinas
8:45 - 8:55 AM Introduction of Participants AGREA Foundation
9:00 - 9:15 AM Keynote Speaker TBA
9:15 - 9:30 AM Group Photo with Keynote Speaker SPACES Team (Oxfam and AGREA)
9:30 - 10:30 Session 1: Assessment on Social
AM Accountability Mechanisms and Initiatives
in the past 6 months (November 2023 –
March 2024)

1. Breakout session per municipality to

assess: Oxfam Pilipinas
 - Use of community scorecards
- People’s Agenda and Interface Dialogue
- Other engagements/partnerships with
the LGU where they used social
accountability skills and approaches
Snacks and Health Break in between
10:30 - 11:15
AM 2. Sharing per municipality/city

11:15 - 11:45 3. Reactions, Questions, Clarifications

AM
11:45 - 1:00 PM LUNCHBREAK
1:00 -1:10 PM Ice Breaker AGREA Foundation
1:15 - 2:15 PM Session 2: Action Planning on concrete next SPACES Team (Oxfam and AGREA)
steps to institutionalize and practice social
accountability mechanisms within their CSO
group, lobby in People’s Council for LGU
consideration
Breakout per municipality
Sharing per municipality/city
Reactions, Questions, Clarifications

2:15 - 2:30 PM Snacks and Health Break

2:30 - 3:30 PM Session 3: Community visioning on: AGREA Foundation
What’s next for CSOs?
Breakout per municipality
Sharing per municipality/city
Reactions, Questions, Clarifications
3:30 - 4:00 PM Wrap-up and Synthesis of the Oxfam Pilipinas
Convention
4:00 - 5:00 PM Program Flow sharing for the SPACES Team (Oxfam and AGREA)
SPACES Culminating Activity
We hope for your support in encouraging our identified CSO leaders to be part of the said
activity. We will do a follow-up regarding this with your good office, and we hope the
schedules are okay with you. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate
to contact us at mobile number 09665330066, or email at spaces@agrea.ph.

Thank you for your kind support and more power!

Sincerely,

MS. CHERRIE ATILANO

Founder/CEO
AGREA Foundation

MARY CRIS M. CADAG

Food Systems Policy Officer for Luzon & Visayas
AGREA Foundation