Tagum City (DSWD XI) -The Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently conducted a forum on the implementation of Construction of Classrooms for Lumad (CCL) at Big 8 Hotel.
The forum aimed to discuss among stakeholders how to address issues affecting CCL implementation in identified areas.
Present were municipal engineers and accountants, barangay treasurers, representatives from National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and DSWD officials.
DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS Regional Community Development Specialist Joel B. Quiňo said the activity “is an avenue where we level off as to roles, tasks, and responsibilities of each stakeholder towards achieving the goal of improving the well-being of the intended communities through timely interventions that are within the program standards.”
Earlier evaluation pointed to problems such as proposed sites as disaster risk and not conducive for learning, while some areas have existing facilities already.
Participant-stakeholders then drew up an action plan to fast track the implementation in different municipalities.
As part of the commitment forged during the forum, they agreed to observe that DSWD and LGUs in both municipal and barangay levels will improve the partnership in terms of capacitating the communities through provision of quality and timely technical assistance along the social process of engineering and finance, and providing intensive monitoring to address the identified implementation gaps as experienced in the field.
Stakeholders also agreed to complete all sub-projects within the year.
CCL is a joint project of DSWD and Department of Education (DepED), responding to the need of learning facilities of indigenous peoples (IPs) living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).
CCL implementation will follow the community driven development (CDD) approach of Kalahi-CIDSS, as the IPs will be mobilized to be more participative and anchored on Sama-Samang Pagkilos Nang May Malasakit (collective action with compassion).
These schools, however, will be far different from the standard structural designs of existing basic education schools as these will follow the cultural preference of the tribe existing in the community.
The project will be implemented in the five provinces, in 27 municipalities and cities in the entire region.
A total of 209 classrooms have been targeted to be constructed this year with a funding of Php 137, 840, 324.00.
“As we continue to pursue our program with Sama-Samang Pagkilos nang may Malasakit”, I trust that our stakeholders will continue to be steadfast in carrying out the mandate to serve our IP brothers and sisters,” DSWD Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat urged.
Kalahi-CIDSS, one of the major programs of DSWD, uses the community driven development 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 in implementing projects that will address these needs. (DSWD)