Monkayo Mayor Joselito B. Brillantes and DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS Regional Program Coordinator Ma. Elena S. Labrador sign the Memorandum of Agreement for program implementation as some barangay captains witness the event.

MONKAYO, COMPOSTELLA VALLEY – Kalahi-CIDSS [also known as National Community-Driven Development Program] underscored the importance of partnership, guidelines and transparency in program implementation as it launched its 3^rd cycle here with a Municipal Orientation.

The goal of Kalahi-CIDSS was tackled during the orientation.

Local government officials were re-informed about the main goal of the program, which is to train and mold different barangays to have access and control of key development decisions and resources through a guided process of community mobilization.

Per DSWD experience, social preparation and community mobilization inspire people to become more responsive and most likely develop a sense of accountability to their sub-projects.

Further, active involvement of stakeholders would help in maintaining completed community projects later as it instills a sense of ownership toward the projects.

Joel Quiño, Kalahi-CIDSS Area Coordinator of Monkayo eagerly discussed program guidelines to barangay officials and beneficiaries.

He stressed that monitoring of the guidelines requires keen supervision, focused intervention, structured learning and flexibility to be able to meet the timeline of the sub-project.

“If program guidelines will be keenly observed through the cooperation of local government officials and beneficiaries, results of impact assessment in the future would be favorable thus satisfying the program objective,” Quiño added.

The municipal orientation was attended by Mayor Joselito B. Brillantes, barangay officials, DSWD program beneficiaries, Indigenous People representatives, Kalahi-CIDSS municipal coordinating team and DSWD officials.

“I am enormously thankful of the project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), because through their partnership and communication with us, we are now slowly eradicating the poverty in the community,” Mayor Brillantes said in an interview.

He assured that the local government will maintain transparency in the implementation of sub-projects to ensure completion on time and functionality.

Following the orientation, municipal, barangay and DSWD officials signed the Manifesto of Support to signify their commitment to work together for peace and development.

Presently, the different barangays in Monkayo are already at 90%-status in implementing the Kalahi-CIDSS 2^nd cycle. This is a manifestation that Kalahi-CIDSS continues to soar high in its goal in poverty reduction. (DSWD)