Lanao del Norte – 13 community projects were inaugurated last June 26, 2014 in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte which were made possible through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services – Peaceful and Resilient Communities (KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA) – a community-driven development (CDD)project implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The subprojects inaugurated were expansion or potable water systems, construction of pathways, farm-to-market roads improvements, and two-classroom units. The total project costs totaled to more than P4.7 Million Pesos.

Barangays Libertad, Inudaran, Tacub, Kawit Occidental, Tugar, Poblacion, Kawit Oriental, Cayontor, Baraason, Delabayan, Tingintingin, Bagumbayan, and Paiton completed each of their subprojects under the KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA with a set of their own community volunteers.

Kauswagan has been victimized with unstable peace and order situation for years, following a series of attacks brought about by armed conflicts. To bring progress and stabilize the security and peace for its residents, the KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA was launched in the said municipality to strengthen peacebuilding, reconstruction, and development in the area.

KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA is the government’s peace and development framework that aims at putting a permanent and just closure to internal armed conflict through peace negotiations and undertaking programs that addresses the root causes of conflict through interventions on the ground. It is done through convergence of delivery of basic social services; good governance through responsive, transparent and accountable resource allocation and utilization, and community empowerment.

With the Project, the DSWD guides the community members in formulating the peace and development project criteria to determine which identified projects are feasible and are in line with the community’s common peace vision and the PAMANA goal of peaceful and resilient communities. The members identify and select projects that clearly address conflict situations in the community that they have identified. ###smu