Civil society refers to non-governmental organizations and institutions that represent citizen interests and will, comprising the third sector of society distinct from government and business. It can refer to both organizations and independent individuals and groups within a society. In the Philippines, civil society is rooted in cultural concepts of mutual assistance between equals. While Western notions of charity were introduced by missionaries, local terms emphasize equal status between helper and recipient. Civil society organizations (CSOs) are defined groups that come together for a common purpose to serve a constituency, though some claim to represent civil society without understanding their mandate. A key influence on CSOs providing basic services is their relationship with government; they must ensure maintaining their own contributions rather than just becoming contractors

1. Civil Society
Prepared by Raizza P. Corpuz
 It is the "aggregate of non-governmental organizations and institutions that manifest
interests and will of citizens. Civil society includes the family and the private
sphere, referred to as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and
business
 civil society" is used in the sense of 1) the aggregate of non-governmental
organizations and institutions that manifest interests and will of citizens or 2)
individuals and organizations in a society which are independent of the government.
 ADB described civil society: that the basis for civil society in the Philippines comes from
the Filipino concepts of pakikipagkapwa (holistic interaction with others) and kapwa
(sharedinnerself).Voluntaryassistance orcharityconnotesfor Filipinosanequal status
between the provider of assistance and the recipient, which is embodied in the terms
damayan (assistance of peers in periods of crisis) and pagtutulungan (mutual self-help).
The Western notion of kawanggawa (charity) may have been introduced to the
Philippines by Catholic missionaries (http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/30174/csb-phi.pdf)
 CSOs are not required to register with the government but SEC registration is necessary
forthemto be able toacceptdonationsortoparticipate ingovernmentprojects.The SEC
required audited annual financial reports from registered parties. Nonprofit, non-stock
organizations are exempted from taxation. CSOs can engage in income generating
activities.Theyare notrequiredtopayincome tax as longas theydo not issue dividends
to their members and their revenues are used solely for nonprofit activities ([Serrano
1994)
Civil Society and NGO Differences:
All of us are civil society. There is a view that business people and politicians are not civil society,
but they are. None of us are defined by our work and so within our personal capacity, we all make up
the society of the Philippines
CSOs are defined as organised civil society and can come in many forms, some informal and some
as formal entities such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), CBOs, faith-based organisations
(FBOs), among many others. This is when a group of individuals come together for a common
purpose, as in to fulfil a particular mandate driven by need.
CSOs have a constituency, as they have a clientele/beneficiaries whom they serve and ideally
should represent that clientele. As such, it is very disturbing to see how many purport to be
representing the views of civil society when in fact civil society has no idea what their mandate is.
This is because no matter how well-intended the effort is, if people do not know or understand the
mandate being served when ‘civil society’ is represented - then we in the sector are guilty of what we
often accuse government of doing - imposing plans on people rather than facilitating a space in
which people can make their own informed decisions.

2. Civil Society Organizations and Service Provision
Authors: Andrew Clayton, Peter Oakley, Jon Taylo
Civil societyorganizations(CSOs) emergedinthe 1990s as increasinglyinfluentialactorsin
national development.Inone areainparticular—the provisionof basicservices—CSOshave inmany
countriesassumedamajorresponsibility.Thisstudyidentifiesandanalysesthe operational lessons
concerningCSOsandservice provisionthathave emergedtodate.The analysisisbasedona range of
criteria:targetingthe poor, quality ofservicesprovided,efficiencyandsustainability.
The study alsoexaminesanumberof broaderissuesthatcan influence the performance of CSOsin
service provision:the nature of the contracts that CSOs have withgovernmentsto provide services;
governmentlegislationaffectingCSOs’abilityto provide servicesto the poor; and how CSOs can use
theirwork in service provisionto influence policy.
A keyinfluence onCSOinvolvementinservice provisionisthe relationshipwithgovernment,andthisis
criticallyreviewedinthe contextof the notion of partnership.Inthisrespectthe studyfindsthatCSOs
needtoensure thattheyare able to maintaintheirowndistinctivecontributiontodevelopmentandnot
merelybecome contractingagentsof the state.
Finally,the studysummarizesanumberof critical issues thatwill continue tobe at the core of CSO
involvementinservice provision:(i) performance,andthe abilityof CSOstoimprove access,coverage,
qualityandefficiencyinpartnershipwiththe state;(ii)the accountabilityof CSOsinterms of service
provision,andthe extenttowhichCSOsare more accountable tointernational donorsthantothe poor
whomtheyare supposedtoserve;(iii) the influence of currenttrendstodecentralize government
bodies,andhowthisaffectsCSOs;(iv) the dilemmabetweenCSOs’commitmenttoservice provisionand
theirabilitytoplaya broaderrole ineconomicandsocial development;and(v) the potential forCSOsto
broadenthe focusof theirworkinservice provisionandintegrate amore rights-basedapproach.
The study concludeswithanumberof keypolicyissues forgovernmentsandofficial agenciesinrelation
to CSOsand service provision.
Reference:Unite NationResearchInstitute for Social Development