Litigation support
SALIGAN handles cases that curtail the right of the people to organize, associate, and participate in governance processes.
Legal Education
SALIGAN conducts trainings on local legislation and policy formulation – mainstreaming gender and children’s rights, venues for people’s participation in local governance, local budgeting, the barangay justice system, and the barangay’s roles and mechanisms to address the issues of the marginalized, disadvantaged and exploited sectors. We conduct a paralegal formation program among CSOs aimed at strengthening their engagement with local governments.
Policy work
SALIGAN advocates for national and local policies democratizing local governance such as local sectoral representation, the creation of people’s council, and increasing the threshold for CSO representatives to local special bodies. SALIGAN, as part of the Naga City People’s Council (NCPC), drafted and pushed for the Local Sectoral Representation Ordinance in Naga City in 2007. SALIGAN works with civil society organizations to enhance their engagement with local government, specifically in the provinces of Camarines Sur, BARMM, SOCCKSARGEN, CARAGA and Northern Cotabato, and Davao region. SALIGAN’s graduate-paralegals are participating in various local governance mechanisms such as the housing boards in Naga City and Quezon City. As an accredited NGO, SALIGAN participates in the local governance processes of Quezon City, Naga City and Davao City. It sits in the Naga City People’s Council, the Naga City Council for Women, the Naga City Local Housing Board, and the Quezon City Local Housing Board.
Research and publication
SALIGAN published a local governance manual on people’s participation: the Pakikilahok at Pamamahala Manual. In addition, primers on the Katarungang Pamparangay, and Barangay-Based Mechanisms are available. Developments in laws and jurisprudence, and issues affecting the MDES are published quarterly in SALIGAN Batas.