Davao City (DSWD XI) –The Kapit Bisig- Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently conducted a two-day consultation and planning workshop for IP communities at Apo View Hotel.

Dubbed as Indigenous Peoples – Community Driven Development (IP-CDD) and Planning Workshop, the consultation aimed at providing an avenue to develop strategies on effective program implementation in IP-CDD covered areas and ensure a culture-sensitive facilitation.

Present were National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) regional staffs, provincial officers from Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, and Kalahi-CIDSS regional staffs and Area Coordinating Teams (ACT).

The Kalahi-CIDSS IP-CDD targets to deliver basic services in IP communities by supporting the implementation of the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development Protection Plan (ADSDPP), strengthening partnership of local governance institutions and the Indigenous Political Structures (IPS), and building the communities’ resilience to conflict.

Inclusion, participation

Building on the experiences and lessons from Kalahi-CIDSS and PAMANA (PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn) implementation, the Office of Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) and DSWD agreed to expand the partnership under PAMANA to support a Community Driven Development Program for Indigenous Peoples (IP-CDD).

“Being a community-driven development initiative, one of the main areas of focus of the program is empowerment of our IP brothers and sisters through inclusion and active participation in local governance and key community activities meant to address local poverty issues,” explained Nick Elvi D. Digol, Kalahi-CIDSS Deputy Regional Program Manager.

The approach ensures the inclusion of IPs and other vulnerable sectors in community decision-making, Digol said.

The Kalahi-CIDSS IP-CDD program shall operate along the principles of Ancestral Domain-based, Indigenous Knowledge, Systems and Practices-centered, locally defined, and peace promoting development.

This shall cover IP communities affected or vulnerable to conflict, had already graduated from Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA Program, and correspondingly with on- process or approved CADTs (Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title).

Covered areas are Nabunturan, Mawab, Maco, Pantukan, Mabini, Maragusan, Talaingod, San Isidro, Kapalong and Sto. Tomas.

Total Grant Allocation for the IP-CDD implementation in Region XI is Php 29,000,000.00 million.

The covered areas will conduct ADSDPP Review and Development Planning Forum for prioritization of sub-projects.

In region XI, 32.86% of community volunteers are Indigenous Peoples. This inclusive system empowers the community to build more equity and ownership of the projects.

Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the programs of DSWD that uses the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach to empower local communities to undertake their own development projects by actively and directly partaking in local governance in identifying their community needs as well as taking part of implementing projects that will address these needs. (DSWD)