The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) National Community-Driven Development Program (NCDDP) highlights its pilot “Barangay Talakayan” activity for the year in the town of Binuangan, Misamis Oriental, September 13, specifically in Barangay Kitambis.

The DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS initiated the Municipal Talakayan back in 2015; the activity is a dialogue with the municipal local governments in Northern Mindanao. This generated significant lessons, learning, insights, views, suggestions and recommendations to improve the delivery of basic and social services to the communities.

The success of the conduct of these Municipal Talakayan activities led to the conception of the Barangay Talakayan to give the grassroots planners data-based information to help them layout their future and perhaps on-going projects. Presenting and discussing the community’s development situation with key stakeholders and hearing their voices are equally important in assessing the development context of the barangay.

Gemima Lopez, DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS regional monitoring and evaluation specialist, says “the volume of data gathered at the local level is very rich and can be used as vital information for the local government’s planning and budgeting.”

Lopez also says “the Barangay Talakayan is a pilot-initiative that will look at the development status at the barangay level that will measure the overall development status along governance, empowerment and poverty reduction and how these developments contribute to the overall municipal development.”

“Since the Talakayan is an assessment in nature, we want to see if Community-Driven Development or CDD is really at work at the barangay level and has contributed in the development of the barangay” concludes Lopez.

The Barangay Talakayan hopes to increase the local stakeholders’ awareness on the development status of their community, provide a venue for systematic face-to-face feedback between development program or project implementers and the beneficiaries and promote the use of information at the barangay level to support better planning and reporting of outcomes.

Through the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS Community-Driven Development experience and the valuable data will give the community members and its local government information in improving local governance, poverty reduction, and community empowerment.

Civil society organizations or CSOs are the partners of the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS in this endeavor to serve as overall lead facilitator and documenter in all Barangay and Municipal Talakayan activities. The partner CSOs also process and analyze data and prepare the Talakayan presentations, feedback and turnover of Barangay Talakayan reports to Municipalities among others.

To date, there are 604,048 community volunteers who worked together to complete the 26,828 community sub-projects nationwide using the Community-Driven Development approach. In the Philippines, the CDD approach to inclusive growth, social protection and governance is implemented through the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS National Community-Driven Development Program. A bill seeking to institutionalize CDD is already filed in the 18th Congress by Mountain Province Representative Maximo “Maxi” Dalog. The CDD Bill is now known as House Bill 4407. Lanao del Norte 1st District Congressman Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo also expressed his strong support in institutionalizing the Community-Driven Development approach.

To support, facilitate, and pursue the country’s peace agenda, the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 10 (DSWD-10) shall provide social services and implement social protection programs for former rebels (FR) who were members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA), and the Militia ng Bayan (MB) and their families, as well as in individuals and families in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities.

With the release of the new guidelines of Executive Order No. 70, which seeks to institutionalize the Whole-Of-Nation Approach to pave the way for collective participation and action in harmonizing government development efforts and services, the DSWD-10 shall implement programs and projects in close coordination with the Local Government Units (LGUs), who, in turn, shall also take the lead in the delivery of interventions to the former rebels. The DSWD-10 shall also provide technical assistance and resource augmentation to the LGUs as deemed necessary.

DSWD-10 programs and projects that are to be implemented for the former rebels include the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT), Sustainable Livelihood Program, Cash for Work (CFW), Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and Protective Service for Individuals and Families.

In the EO No. 7 guidelines, the DSWD-10 shall provide assistance to the former rebels only upon endorsement by the E-CLIP Committee, for further provision of social welfare and development interventions over and above those being initially provided by the LGUs.

DSWD-10 shall also handle and manage the social cases of the FR women and children who are under the care of the DSWD-managed residential care facilities.

Other DSWD programs and services that shall be implemented in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities include the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayananan (PAMANA) Program, Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services – National Community Driven Development Program (Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP), Disaster Risk Response and Rehabilitation, Assistance to Communities in Need, Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons, Supplementary Feeding Program, Social Pension, and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). xxx

Community volunteers from the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, and Bukidnon represent the region in the 3rd National Community Volunteers’ Congress in Butuan City in the Caraga Region, August 13.

The Northern Mindanao delegation comprised of nine community volunteers, representing their respective Barangay Sub-Project Management Committees (BSPMC), from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) National Community-Driven Development Program (NCDDP).

Mary Ann Patalinghog representing the community of Barangay Kilangit, Gitagum, Misamis Oriental; Suzette Mosende of Barangay Taparak, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental; and Mariela Galendez of Barangay San Jose, Medina, Misamis Oriental are awarded in the Improved Local Governance category.

“dako kayo ang akong kalipay nga kami nga taga-Taparak nahimong usa sa mga awardee sa Bayani Ka Awards, dili namo ni makab-ot nga pasidungog kung wala ang suporta sa among lokal nga pangagamhanan, sa DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS na staff, barangay officials ug kauban namong mga boluntaryo (I am very happy that we from Taparak are recipients of this Bayani Ka Award, we could not have achieved this recognition if not for the support of our local government, the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS staff, barangay officials and our fellow volunteers)” says Suzette.

Suzette also says “kini nga award maoy makadugang sa among kadasig sa pag-amping ug pagatiman sa among mga proyekto gikan sa DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS ug sa ubang ahensya sa gobyerno (this award gives us more enthusiasm in taking care and monitoring our projects from DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS and other government agencies).” 

Florentino Amores representing the community of Barangay Aromahon, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental is awarded in the Elderly category which recognizes communities who value the elderly sector with equal opportunities. Florentino is 63 years old, and a pastor.

“Nagpasalamat ako sa Ginoo sa mga kaayuhan ug kalamboan nga nahatag sa DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS sa among barangay, nga sa kadugay sa panahon kami nangandoy og proyekto nga makahatag og tingusbawan sa among barangay ug sa mga lumulupyo niini, ug karon natubag na gyud (I thank God for all the blessings and progress the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS brought to our barangay, for the longest time we have clamored for projects that would give prosperity to our barangay and the residents, now it is answered)” Florentino said.

Barangay Aromahon in Laguindingan is recipient to four community sub-projects through DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS. These are: Day Care Center, 1 unit school building with two classrooms, concreting of 0.350 kilometer farm-to-market road, and a continuation of the 0.300 kilometer farm-to-market road. These community sub-projects span from 2015 to 2019 implementation of the program.

Mohammad Shiek Pandapatan representing the community of Barangay Pacalundo, Baloi, Lanao del Norte is awarded in the Sustained Community Volunteers’ Group. Mohammad is also now part of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament under the Office of the Member of the Parliament Said Shiek as a Chief of Staff (EA VI). Mohammad volunteered and was selected as the BSPMC chairperson of Pacalundo from 2015 – 2018.

Mohammad encourages everyone to boost the call for CDD institutionalization “Suportahan po natin ang institusyonalisasyon ng Community-Driven Development approach ng DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS. Suportahan po natin ang pagsasabatas nito, malaki at maliliit po na problema sa ating mga kumunidad ay nasolusyonan na ng CDD approach  (let us support the institutionalization of the Community-Driven Development approach of the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS. Let us support making it into a law, big and small problems of our communities have been given solutions using the CDD approach of the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS).”

Arlene Misiona of Barangay Lower Sagadan, Baroy, Lanao del Norte; and Josephine Oracion of Barangay Maribojoc, Tudela, Misamis Occidental represent their communities and are awarded in the Gender and Development category.  

Roger Mutia representing the community of Barangay Ospital, Aloran, Misamis Occidental is awarded in the Environmental Protection category. The Labo creek, which stretches out to the Aloran River overflows and endangers the lives of the community members – despite not being prioritized for two cycle implementations, the community never lost hope of their dream. The community sub-project of the Barangay Ospital is the Construction of 40 Linear Meter Flood Control Structure is now completed which is funded through the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS amounting to P1,350,572.00 with P116,00.00 local counterpart from the barangay development fund of Ospital. Roger Mutia was recently elected as a Barangay Councilor and holds the committee chairmanship of environment and infrastructure.

Joselito Tumanod representing the community of Barangay New Eden, Pangantucan, Bukidnon is awarded in the Indigenous Peoples’ Welfare category.

Oracion, Galendez, and Tumanod were also recently elected as barangay councilors in their respective communities.

The Bayani Ka Awards and National Community Volunteers Congress is an activity that recognizes the efforts and valuable contributions of community volunteers who have been implementing sub-projects through the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach.

The activity is an annual event of DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS to celebrate the success of community-driven development which is implemented across 827 municipalities nationwide.

This year’s theme is “Padayon, Kalahi-CIDSS!,” which boosts the clamor to institutionalize the CDD strategy in DSWD programs and in the local development process of municipalities.

The event was participated by more than 250 community volunteers, local chief executives, and barangay officials from 14 regions nationwide.

Kalahi-CIDSS is one of poverty alleviation programs of DSWD stipulated in the Magna Carta of the Poor. It uses the CDD approach in empowering communities that provides the opportunity for participation by giving them control over decisions and resources. Through CDD, sub-projects target the immediate needs of the communities and community members have larger stake in their own development.          

To date, there are 604,048 community volunteers who worked together to complete the 26,828 community sub-projects nationwide.

“Ang Regional Haven for Women ay isang simbolong nagpapaalala sa atin na dapat ipaglaban ang karapatan ng kababaihan kapag ito ay natatapakan, (the Regional Haven for Women is a symbol that reminds us that we need to protect the rights of our women when they are violated.” This is Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista’s message, delivered by Undersecretary Luzviminda Ilagan during the Inauguration of DSWD-10’s Regional Haven for Women today, August 28, in Barangay Alae, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development officially opened the doors of the Regional Haven for Women in Bukidnon, a 23-million Peso project that provides temporary shelter and refuge to women who are undergoing difficult circumstances such as abuse and trafficking.

The Haven was built with the aim to provide access to social services to women whose rights were violated and are living in Bukidnon and other neighboring provinces, and to support them through government interventions and assistance, such as counseling, medical assistance, livelihood, technical education, and psycho-social interventions.

“Para mas marami pa tayong mga kakababaihang matutulongan (so that we can help more women),” Mari-Flor A. Dollaga-Libang, Regional Director of DSWD-10, says during her welcome speech among witnesses to the inauguration of the building. She added that many women will now be able to seek refuge in the Haven in times of difficulties and when their rights are violated.

“The completion of the construction of the Regional Haven for Women is a manifestation of converged efforts,” she continues as she relays that the Regional Haven for Women was realized through planning and implementation by a number of individuals and leaders, both from the local and national government, who took part in the completion of the construction of the 1,750 square meter building.

The facility has four women’s quarters, a conference room, a prayer room, a counseling area, a training room, a clinic, and a library, among others.

The construction of the building started in December 2018 and was completed in August 2019, with the budget coming from the DSWD’s Centers and Residential Care Facilities (CRCF) project fund. Support were also given by other national and local government offices “that shared the same vision the DSWD has.”

Gracing the inauguration were DSWD Undersecretary Camilo Gudmalin, Undersecretary Luzviminda Ilagan, the Provincial Government of Bukidnon, and the local government unit of Manolo Fortich.

Representatives from other DSWD field offices and partner agencies were also among the witnesses in the said event.

A virtual inauguration of 124 DSWD centers and residential care facilities completed across the nation was also held in Cagayan de Oro City in the afternoon of the same day, which was also graced by top executives of the Department.