The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office V – Bicol Region, through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) conducted the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Training for Water System Subproject on September 23-25, 2025 at Hotel St. Ellis, Legazpi City, Albay and Naga Regent Hotel, Naga City, Camarines Sur.

The event gathered the O&M groups and Multi-Stakeholder Inspectorate Teams (MSITs) with water system subprojects to strengthen their organizational management and development, as well as their group’s registration and accreditation.

As part of the learning session, participants have also visited Lumbang Water System Association (LUWASA) in Pilar, Sorsogon and Pagao Waterworks and Sanitation Association (PAWASA) in Bombon, Camarines Sur, to gain knowledge and best practices which can be replicated in their own communities.

Representatives from the KALAHI-CIDSS National Program Management Office and Regional Program Management Office discussed assessment results of income-generating projects, updates on the status of organized, accredited, and registered O&M groups, and the crafting of O&M plans.

Agencies such as Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), and Local Government Unit of Bulan, Sorsogon shared their inputs on legal requirements, registration assistance and process, water permits, and financial management, respectively.

Regional Director Norman S. Laurio expressed the commitment of the Department to empowering communities in sustaining projects.

“Apart from capacitating them with technical knowledge, the training gave communities the inputs that they need to maintain, manage, and sustain their water system subprojects. This is an initiative of the program to guarantee that households have access to clean water and communities can take charge of projects that will enhance their standard of living,” he said.

Guided by the principles of participation, transparency, and accountability, KALAHI-CIDSS ensures that communities are not just beneficiaries of the interventions but are considered as active partners in development, helping build sustainable solutions to reduce poverty.