To ensure the effective implementation of its programs and services amidst the evolving dynamics of grassroots stakeholders, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office XI, through the Social Marketing Unit (SMU), conducted a Stakeholder Mapping and Strategic Communication Technical Workshop from July 31 to August 2, 2024, in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, designed for the program implementers of KALAHI-CIDSS (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services), Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access), and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished). 

KALAHI-CIDSS, serving Filipino communities for 21 years, has established a robust framework guided by the community-driven development (CDD) approach. With six operational modalities, the program is supported by various units that address all aspects of project development, from social preparation to the monitoring and evaluation of completed projects.

In contrast, Project LAWA at BINHI piloted a year ago, is now fully implemented. This flagship program of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian aims to combat the effects of El Niño by ensuring food security and water resource stability.

As the two programs prepare for the continued full-scale implementation of Project LAWA at BINHI in 2025, implementers from both initiatives were brought together to identify and map their new set of stakeholders. After completing the stakeholder mapping process, staff were trained in strategic communication techniques to effectively engage with key stakeholders, ensuring smooth and successful program execution.

DSWD Field Office XI Regional Director Atty. Vanessa B. Goc-ong joined the workshops and urged the participants to apply what they learned from the technical sessions to their respective areas of implementation. 

“You have been carefully selected to join this training because the Department saw you fit to grasp the learning from these technical sessions and share it with your fellow staff at the grassroots level. That is why I urge you to apply all your takeaways from these sessions and share them with your colleagues to ensure that our implementation will be effective and successful,” said Dir. Goc-ong. 

The Social Marketing Unit (SMU), the media arm of the DSWD Field Office XI, expressed its gratitude to the participants for their active engagement in the sessions and workshops.

“As the organizer of this technical workshop, we firmly believe that the objectives we set were achieved and that we are confident in the collaboration of the two programs in the upcoming implementation in 2025. We at the SMU not only focus on the social marketing of these programs by ensuring that they are effectively communicated to the people but also reinforce the strategic communication skills of the implementers by maximizing them in the course of implementation,” said Ezri M. Coda Jr, Social Marketing Officer III.

Vanessa I. Diez, a former community volunteer of the KALAHI-CIDSS-funded subproject in the Municipality of Kapalong, Davao del Norte, now an Area Coordinator, stated her takeaway by appreciating the technical workshop.

“Importante nga adunay strategic nga komunikasyon sa tanang stakeholders aron mapadangat sa ubos (beneficiaries) ang atong gusto nga makab-ot,” (It is important that we strategically communicate with the stakeholders to ensure that they understand what we aspire with our advocacy), said Diez. 

The workshop concluded with a strong sense of optimism and readiness among the implementers, who are now better equipped to engage with stakeholders and ensure the success of their programs. The DSWD Field Office XI remains committed to enhancing the skills of its staff to provide effective and sustainable community-driven development initiatives.

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