SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS) Program Mimaropa recently conducted a Community Volunteers Training (CVT) to capacitate more than 100 Community Volunteers (CVs) in the municipality of Magsaysay.
The two-day training held at the Municipal Evacuation Center aims to capacitate the participants from nine (9) recipient barangays in implementing and managing the sub-projects granted to them by the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS program.
It focuses on the process of Community-Based Procurement, methods of emergency procurement, and roles of the volunteers during the sub-project implementation for the Program’s second phase.
Engr. Villamor C. Racca Jr. of DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS Mimaropa reiterated that the CVT is a preparatory stage for the CVs that will help them be more engaged in their community problem-solving process.
“Preparasyon [ang CVT] para matutunan [ng mga community volunteers] ang tamang [proseso ng community-driven development approach] at mai-apply nila ng maayos yung mga natutunan sa [training sa kanilang komunidad]…kahit volunteers lang sila…ay parte sila ng paghahanap ng solusyon sa mga problema ng kanilang komunidad,” Racca Jr. shared.
Guillermo Caridad from Brgy. Poblacion shared how the program empowered him and provided opportunities for him to be more involved in their community.
“Noong hindi pa ako nae-empower sa [ganitong gawain], maaaring naririnig ko, pero bale wala naman sa akin ‘yang mga ganyang [proyekto]. Pero simula noong naging volunteer ako, doon ko na natutunan ang proseso ng pagkakaroon ng proyekto dito sa aming komunidad na nakakatulong sa amin at mas nalaman ko kung paano ako makakatulong,” Caridad said.
He added that the program helped develop stronger cooperation between the barangay local government unit and the CVs as Kalahi-CIDSS program is known in their community to foster transparency and integrity in its processes.
The volunteers are in-charge of the whole planning, procurement, and monitoring process, and identifying a specific sub-project for their community, such as construction of Barangay Health Station, construction of 1-unit 2-classrooms school building, installation of 50 units of solar street lights, construction of seawall, construction of footbridge, concreting of 15 kilometer access roads, and construction of 1 double-barrel box culvert.
The total budget for the sub-projects is P16,428,325.01, comprising the Local Government Unit (LGU) counterpart amounting to P8,468,877.32, and the Kalahi-CIDSS program’s grant worth P7,396,125.
The DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS program was revamped in 2021 in Occidental Mindoro during the pandemic, covering seven (7) municipalities which aims to empower their target barangays and communities by engaging the people in poverty-alleviating projects. (DSG/PIA Mimaropa – Occidental Mindoro)
Participants dutifully log their attendance for the two-day CVT held at the Municipal Evacuation Center spearheaded by the DSWD – KALAHI-CIDSS Program Mimaropa staff. The activity aims to capacitate the participants in implementing and managing the sub-projects granted to them (Photo courtesy of DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS PRogram Mimaropa).
