The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region V upskilled Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) community volunteers in advocating Community Driven Development (CDD) approach.

This CDD approach seeks to empower local communities to identify and implement the project the people most need.

The two-day advocacy training focused on various topics such as CDD advocacy, handling media interviews, basic speech writing and public speaking.

This was held at Villa Rosita Hotel, Naga City, Camarines Sur last November 28-29, 2017 and La Roca Veranda Suites and Restaurant, Legazpi City, Albay last November 30 – December 1, 2017.

The workshop was organized to train community volunteers on advocacy which is a way of supporting and enabling people to express their views and concerns, access information and services and promote their rights and responsibilities.  

This was also designed as promotional skills building workshop to help volunteers deliver the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS’ main goals specifically, community empowerment and institutionalization of CDD in different areas.

According to Jesseshan Aycocho, the Regional Information Officer of DSWD Region V, advocacy can be done in simplest form through word of mouth.

“Tighahagad ko saindo (community volunteers) na iistorya an saindong mga eksperiensya sa mga ka-barangay para ibalangibog ang kagayunan kan CDD asin DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS (I am encouraging you, community volunteers, to share your experiences to your neighbors in order to promote the benefits of CDD and DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS),” she explained.

Resource speakers were composed of Ana-Liza Macatangay, Provincial Head of Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Camarines Sur, who discussed handling media interviews in Naga City, Lineth Brondial, a project technical officer of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and a volunteer of Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines, who taught CDD advocacy, basic speech writing and public speaking and Jesseshan Aycocho, who shared knowledge on handling media interviews in Legazpi City.

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