To honor the unsung heroes of its community-driven development (CDD) program, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), on Friday (April 26) held an awarding ceremony in Mandaue City, Cebu to recognize the dedication and hard work rendered by Regional Program Management Offices (RPMOs) and Area Coordinating Teams (ACTs) across the nation.

“Let us take a moment to appreciate the unsung heroes of our program, the ACTS. They are Kalahi-CIDSS’ Angels in Red Vest, working tirelessly on the ground. They embody the spirit of CDD in its truest sense by engaging with people, facilitating meetings, providing technical assistance, and empowering local leaders,”  DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a video message during the culminating event of the week-long 2024 KALAHI-CIDSS National Summit.

The National Summit carried the theme “TINDIG: Standing up for KALAHI-CIDSS and championing our communities.”

In his video message, Secretary Gatchalian proudly shared the landmark accomplishments of KALAHI-CIDSS in the past year.

“In 2023 alone, we made a milestone accomplishment in the whole history of the program. In just one year, we were able to accomplish 16,320 subprojects benefiting 5.56 million households,” the DSWD chief said.

“This is the highest rate of accomplishment – more than three times the average annual accomplishment of 5,000. This is a result of our combined efforts and retooling strategies,” Secretary  Gatchalian added.

Senator Imee R. Marcos,  chairperson of the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, served as the keynote speaker at the closing ceremony.

In her speech, Senator Marcos commended the importance of the KALAHI-CIDSS in empowering communities and its contribution to the anti-poverty initiatives of the government.

The senator also assured her support for the next version of KALAHI-CIDSS using newer and better processes and monitoring tools.

“We must push forward for community-driven development – stronger, bigger and faster,” Senator Marcos said.

The KALAHI-CIDSS Summit, which was attended by over 1,000 members of RPMOs and ACTs, served as a platform to equip the participants with knowledge and tools to drive CDD endeavors forward. It also showcased the best practices and accomplishments of the program, highlighting the unity and resilience of poor Filipino communities.

The Summit concluded with an awarding ceremony of KALAHI-CIDSS Individual and Office Category Performance-Based Awards, TINDIG Service Awards, and Advocacy and Competency Olympics.

The event was attended by DSWD Undersecretaries Alan Tanjusay and Monina Josefina Romualdez; Assistant Secretaries Florentino Loyola Jr., Arnel Garcia, Juan Carlo Marquez, Ulysses Aguilar, and Paul Ledesma; KALAHI-CIDSS National Program Manager Atty. Bernadette Mapue-Joaquin; and regional directors of DSWD Field Offices.

The KALAHI-CIDSS is one of the flagship community development programs of the DSWD which empowers community members, in poor and marginalized localities, to be active partners in development.

Through the program, community members actively participate to identify and prioritize their community’s problems and allow them to design, implement, and manage solutions to their priority problems.

Moving forward, the DSWD will continue to stay dedicated to empower and uplift every impoverished community in the Philippines. #