The Department of Social Welfare and Development Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS) organized the Strategic Planning for Legislative Advocacy at AGM Beachfront Resort, Donsol, Sorsogon last May 28 – May 31 this year.

The training was attended by 30 Social Marketing Officers (SMOs), Project Development Officers (PDOs) and Administrative Assistants (AAs) of the program as they have a vital role in organizing lobby groups and supporting the passage of Community Driven Development (CDD) ordinances at the barangay and municipal levels.

This four-day workshop aimed at directing social marketing activities and campaigns towards the adoption of CDD in the local development process.

CDD is being operated on the principles of transparency, participation, accountability, community empowerment and enhanced local capacity.

The strategic planning was held in Donsol, Sorsogon as its Local Government Unit (LGU) has already adopted the CDD approach in their local development plan. They have created the Office of the Barangay Affairs to monitor the development programs of the government and private organizations.

This Office of the Barangay Affairs also focused on creating a database containing the salient information about the communities and their needs as identified by these barangays to address their critical poverty condition.

Through this, the LGU of Donsol is a good case study as basis for legislative advocacy to create strategic plan towards the institutionalization of CDD on the LGUs.

During the workshop, Usec. Luzviminda Ilagan of Office of the Undersecretary for Legislative Liaison Affairs and Special Presidential Directives in Mindanao Region discussed the lobbying experience at the national level.

Meanwhile, Ruperto Sabalo Jr., a SMO of Region I also shared his lobbying background at the municipal level.

To provide a deeper context on the adoption of CDD approach, the SMOs conducted a focus group discussion with Mayor Josephine Alcantara-Cruz, local chief executive (LCE) of Donsol, Sorsogon.

During the interface, Mayor Cruz described how she was able to understand the community empowerment activity cycle (CEAC) process, a unique aspect of the program that helps community members to be part in the local planning, budgeting and implementation.

“I see Kalahi as a university of barrio folks because it teaches communities how to handle a project in uplifting their living condition through its trainings,” she said.

To further intensify the support for CDD institutionalization, the SMOs created its advocacy action plans anchored on the national objectives considering their regional settings and needs.

A nationwide activity is set to be conducted this month as part of the celebration of the program which was launched last June 23, 2014 in Ormoc City.

DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS will run until 2019, targeting to benefit approximately 5.3 million households with a total project cost of PhP 43.9 billion. /ramsertan/

For more information, you may visit the official Facebook page: @dswdfo5 or DSWD Region V.