The Establishing Phase formalizes Project FirstGen as a civil society organization in Iloilo City, grounded in the relationships, learnings, and first mentor cohort developed throughout the Roadmap. It invites both HEI partners and FG students to participate in its founding.
As a registered CSO, PFG can operate across campuses, working with FG students in Iloilo City as a whole. Its board will consist of stakeholders from HEIs, the local civil society sector, and FG students themselves, ensuring a context-sensitive perspective on crucial decisions. This structure also enables PFG to formalize partnerships and seek national and international funding to expand the mentoring pool and develop further projects.
Partnering HEIs can benefit greatly from their involvement in this phase. As founding members of the first CSO in Iloilo City that addresses FG students, they can publicly demonstrate their commitment to higher education equity, which is a key priority area of EDCOM II’s National Education Plan. By providing a focal person to PFG’s board, their voices and interests directly shape the organization’s development. Participation also signals institutional investment in innovative, participatory, and context-sensitive approaches to engage FG students with impact.
Most importantly, establishing a CSO recognizes the need of long-term support, exchange, and capacity-building to sufficiently address the social dimension of FG students. As a CSO, PFG can strive to become a trusted partner strengthening their sense of belonging and participation across campuses. By that, it complements HEIs’ existing mechanisms to support FG students in becoming successful graduates and student leaders, reinforcing their commitment to higher education equity in Iloilo City.
Project FirstGen Philippines 