DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Jan. 9 (PIA) — One of the four of exemplary community volunteers of Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) in Region 7 has joined the national community volunteers’ congress in Quezon City.
With the congress’ theme “Ugnayan,” or connection aimed to create a network of community volunteers from other regions in the country.
Participants from Central Visayas who were selected to be the representatives of the region include Annabelle Banlat of Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental; Lucil Dinampo of Samboan and Mary Jean Ople of Asturias representing Cebu province; and Gina Felisilda of Anda for Bohol province.
During the congress, they went through a series of creative workshops to share their stories and experiences with other community volunteers while learning from each other on how the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach used by the KALAHI-CIDSS have given their communities access to transformative activities leading to social development.
Through freehand drawing, they were able to creatively communicate their past and present experiences with KALAHI-CIDSS, the problems faced by their communities, and solutions that were addressed by the program using the CDD.
“As program implementers, it is our challenge to keep their passion burning while we continue to explore on opportunities and platforms where they can share their empowerment stories, relate to other volunteers who shared the same success, and propagate what the KALAHI-CIDSS has done in their communities for many years,” said Carl James Ocubillo, the program’s Social Marketing Officer of DSWD7.
At the end of the congress, volunteer participants were recognized for their contribution in the implementation of the program in their communities during the Bayani Parangal ceremony.
They were given certificates by the KALAHI-CIDSS National Program Management Office (NPMO) led by DSWD Undersecretary for Operations Jerico Francis Javier, Assistant Secretary for Specialized Program under Operations Group, Florentino Loyola, Jr., and KALAHI-CIDSS OIC-National Program Manager Ma. Consuelo Acosta.
The ceremony aimed to recognize and reward community volunteers and other stakeholders who have actively engaged and promoted the CDD approach, and have unselfishly prioritized the best interest of their communities.
Women empowerment is one of the thematic areas of the program where it has provided many opportunities for women to actively get involved in the local planning process at the barangay level.
“Para kanako, ang ‘Ugnayan’ usa ka simple nga pulong apan adunay lawom nga katin-awan. Usa kini ka pamaagi aron mahatagan og katumanan ang mga adbokasiya sa mga kababayen-an nga gihulma sa KALAHI ug ipaambit ngadto sa uban pang mga boluntir nga adunay susamang kasinatian. Ang ‘Ugnayan’ sa matag boluntir sa lain-laing rehiyon simbolo sa usa ka nasud nga nagkahiusa (For me, the term ‘Ugnayan’ is a very simple term but has a deep meaning. It has given a fulfillment to the advocacy of women shaped by the KALAHI-CIDSS and shares it with others who have similar experiences. The ‘Ugnayan’ of each volunteer in different regions is a symbol of a united country),” said Annabelle Banlat in her speech during the ceremony.
With the national congress and recognition of community volunteers, KALAHI-CIDSS hopes that more members of the community will be encouraged to become volunteers and will advocate the CDD.
KALAHI-CIDSS is a poverty alleviation program that helps communities in poor municipalities to identify challenges on poverty and implement developmental projects using the CDD approach.
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. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from DSWD7)
