Around 40 barangay information officers (BIONs), leaders of CSOs and people’s organizations, and students underwent a communication training spearheaded jointly by the US Agency for International Development through its Cities for Enhanced Governance and Engagement (USAID-CHANGE) program with the City Planning Development Office (CPDO) and the Demand Generation Task Group of the city government Friday, June 23.

The training aimed to capacitate BIONs and community workers on effective communication and emerging communication technologies to help them reach and engage with the communities they serve.

The training covered topics on effective communication, effective writing, and social media communication management.

In addition to the communication training, the participants were also oriented on the USAID-CHANGE Grant Manual in preparation for the submission of relevant proposals and projects that can be pursued by the CHANGE program in accordance with its priority thrusts.

The CHANGE project is intended to support strengthened economic governance in the Philippines. It seeks to achieve more responsive local governance through 3 objects: strengthen the enabling environment for decentralization; enhance service delivery capacity, legitimacy, transparency and accountability of participating local governments and empower citizens by increasing their participation in and oversight of local governance processes in ways that government both approves and supports.

Zamboanga City, as one of the nine beneficiaries of the Cities Development Initiative (CDI), is one of the partner cities for the implementation of projects aimed to strengthen democratic governance under the USAID – CHANGE project.

Last Tuesday, June 20, USAID CHANGE Project Chief of Party Sergio Andal Jr. formally turned over to Mayor John Dalipe the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) affirming the selection of Zamboanga City for the USAID Philippines Cities for the CHANGE activity. (Jasmine Mohammadsali)