IGaCoS, Davao del Norte –The Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Develoment (DSWD) recently trained its Mindanao Cluster Monitoring and Evaluation and Social Development team on Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) at Secdea Beach Resort here.

Discussed during the five-day training was the new and updated technology that facilitates easier data analysis.

PGIS is where digitized maps are viewed in different layers of information, resource, infrastructures, population, boundaries, and roads.

“With fast-paced program implementation, this new technology will help our Kalahi-CIDSS community volunteers analyze their situation through the aid of near-accurate community maps,” said Elvira B. Anduyan, Kalahi-CIDSS XI Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist.

The PGIS is set to be incorporated in the Participatory Situation Analysis (PSA) and Criteria-Setting Workshop (CSW), stages of the social preparation phase of Kalahi-CIDSS that aims to establish a common understanding of the current situation in the area.

“It is an activity where community members work together to assess and analyze their situation, based on their own observations, experiences and perspective,” Anduyan explained. “During PSA, community members are tasked to draw a resource and social map to learn more about the community and the resources available in the area.”

The map reflects the social structures and institutions found in an area. It also helps the community learn about social and economic differences between households and provide clear information to aid in disaster response or mitigate threats of disaster.

Anduyan said that by using Participatory Geographic Information System in PSA, communities can help put accurate information in their location map as well as validate and update the satellite images provided to them.

With this new innovation through PGIS, information will be more precise and map locations are more in-placed. The analysis of the map will be more accurate in identifying projects that address the community’s most pressing need, Anduyan added.

Kalahi-CIDSS was able to build 338 community sub-projects since the scale up of the program in 2014.

Top sub-projects identified in the communities are roads, water system, flood control facility, multi-purpose building, and school building.

The target roll-out training on PGIS to communities is on the last quarter of 2016 through the first quarter of 2017.

Kalahi-CIDSS, one of the core programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), aims to empower communities through enhanced participation in local governance and poverty alleviation projects. (DSWD)