Last April 24-28, 2011, CODE-NGO was host to Mr. Yoshiharu Shiraishi, Research Associate of the Japan Association of Charitable Organizations (JACO), a national network of non-profit organizations in Japan. In his visit to the Philippines, Mr. Shiraishi gave an overview of the composition and regulation of CSOs in Japan in a round-table discussion with representatives of Philippine CSOs and government regulatory agencies, as well as an update on the recent calamities that has struck Japan. He also met also met with officials of the SEC, CDA and PCNC and with CODE-NGO member networks AF and NATCCO to learn about the regulatory environment for NGOs in the Philippines.  Mr. Shiraishi’s visit is part of the Peer Learning Exchange Program of the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA), an international network of national associations convened by Civicus World Alliance for Citizens’ Participation, of which CODE-NGO and JACO are members. 

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A representative of one of the largest Japanese CSO networks visited the Philippines to share their experience in working with CSOs in Japan and to get a glimpse of the level of the legitimacy, transparency, and accountability (LTA) of CSOs in the Philippines.  For four days, CODE-NGO was host to Mr. Yoshiharu Shiraishi, Research Associate of the Japan Association of Charitable Associations (JACO).  During his visit, Mr. Shiraishi gave an overview of the composition and regulation of CSOs in Japan in a round-table discussion with civil society leaders and government officials, as well as an update on the recent calamities that has struck Japan and the response of CSOs. The CSOs and government officials, mostly coming from agencies with regulatory functions, were impressed with Mr. Shiraishi’s presentation of their Non-profit Database System, or simply called “NOPODAS.”  The comprehensive web-based database provides interested parties, such as government, CSOs, or donors, information on CSOs registered in Japan.  It started as a project of JACO providing for a community site for non-profits, and now supported by the Japanese government agency responsible for the regulation of Public Interest Corporations.  Mr. Shiraishi also met with officials of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Cooperatives Development Authority (CDA), and the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) to learn more about how CSOs are regulated and about database systems we are using here in the Philippines.  Meetings with CODE-NGO, the Association of Foundations (AF), and the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) were also held to discuss NGO governance and the possibility of having the NOPODAS system implemented here in the Philippines.

Mr. Shiraishi’s visit is part of the Peer Learning Exchange Program of the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA), an international network of national associations convened by Civicus World Alliance for Citizens’ Participation, of which CODE-NGO and JACO are members.  JACO is composed of around 1,500 public interest organizations working in the Public Benefit sector all over Japan (see link- http://www.kohokyo.or.jp/english/eng_index.html to JACO’s website), providing financial and capacity-building support to their member CSOs as well as promoting their activities to the government of Japan and to the general public.  – by Sandino Soliman, CODE-NGO Advocacy Project Coordinator.