The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its poverty-alleviation program Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) will award exemplary communities and partner groups for implementing and promoting the program using its Community-Driven Development (CDD) strategy.

The 7th Regional Bayani Ka! Awards with the theme “Sama-samang Pagkilos Nang May Malasakit” or “Compassionate, collective action” will recognize eight (8) awardees who will showcase success stories in implementing the KALAHI-CIDSS through experiences, gains, and advocacies of their communities.

Bayani Ka! has eight (8) categories that the KALAHI-CIDSS promotes, namely Gender and Development, Environment Protection, Improved Local Governance, Indigenous People’s Welfare, Promotion of Just and Peace, Persons with Disability, Elderly, and Youth.

Unlike previous Bayani Ka! awards, this year’s search aims to recognize communities and groups that are engaged in the program and continue working to ensure that CDD principles are sustained in the community where KALAHI-CIDSS is present.

Nominees must have been engaged in the implementation of the KALAHI-CIDSS for at least one year or one cycle, demonstrated actions that are consistent with the program’s principles, and have a heart for service to the poor, vulnerable, marginalized, and disadvantaged communities.

Each category must have three (3) nominations from the different cluster offices of the Regional Program Management Office (RPMO), representing Cebu North, Cebu South, Bohol 1, Bohol 2, and Negros Oriental clusters.

The nomination process will start in the Area and Municipal Coordinating Teams by identifying who among their partners has made significant contributions to the implementation of the program in their respective areas. From here, nominators must fill out the nomination form as well as come up with a write-up that describes the community or group with an endorsement letter from their local government unit.

Submission of nominations will start on August 22, 2022, and will end on September 16, 2022. Nominations will be screened and shortlisted nominees will be asked to submit a community video with a maximum of five (5) minutes and a minimum of three (3).

Final nominees must have one (1) representative to participate in the Community Volunteer’s Forum come October 2022, wherein they will go through a 2-Day Forum with other representatives of the nominees and will have the opportunity to exchange their stories, advocacies, and eventually share their commitment and support to DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS and to the CDD principles.

All eight (8) awardees per category and the winner of the Best in Community Video will receive a Php 10,000 cash prize, a plaque of recognition, and will be awarded at the National Bayani Ka! Awards in Manila in December 2022.

Awardees are expected to serve as advocates of KALAHI-CIDSS in promoting and sustaining its principles in the hopes of institutionalizing the Community-Driven Development (CDD) strategy. ###

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