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Four volunteer-driven projects of Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), namely three 2-classroom buildings in Barangay Lundag, Catagdaan, and Estaca, and the municipal isolation facility in Poblacion, were turned over to the communities in Pilar, Bohol on September 15, 2022.

Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin T. Tulfo led the ceremonial ribbon cutting and unveiling of the sub-project markers in Estaca and Poblacion together with Bohol Provincial Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado and DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero, together with other local and DSWD officials.

DSWD and Bohol local government officials spearhead the ceremonial ribbon cutting of an isolation facility in Brgy. Poblacion.

The completed projects are products of participation among members of the community by implementing a project that corresponds to their needs. They are funded under the Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (KKB) and Additional Financing (AF) modalities of KALAHI-CIDSS that aim to provide access to basic social services, increase people’s participation, and augment local resources to respond to a disaster.

The 7m x 18m 2-classroom buildings are intended for use in the three integrated high schools in Pilar as a primary need to strengthen basic education, especially for the indigenous people’s community in Barangay Lundag. The isolation facility with amenities, medical tools, and equipment worth PHP 19 million is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These sub-projects are done by community volunteers who joined the program as volunteers in the hopes of developing their communities.

Volunteer and chairperson for Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of Brgy. Poblacion, Leonardo Camilotes narrates his experience during the implementation of their project. “Dili lalim ug dili hayahay ang trabaho sa usa ka boluntir. Daghan og trabaho, daghan og mga rekisitos sa pagpadagan og proyekto apan natukod ang among proyekto tungod sa pagpaningkamot sa katawhan paingon sa kalamboan (The work of a volunteer is not an easy task. There is a lot of work to do; there are many requirements to run a project, but our project was built because of the efforts of our people towards achieving community development),” the volunteer shared.

Secretary Tulfo calls for everyone to take up roles in helping communities bounce back from the many challenges the nation has recently faced. “Itong isolation facility at mga classroom buildings ay proyekto mula sa tao at para sa tao. Andito ang DSWD sa pamamagitan ng programang KALAHI-CIDSS sa pagbuo ng isang masiglang pamayanan at magbigay ng agarang tugon sa mga hinaing ng tao (These isolation facility and classroom buildings are projects made by the people and for the people. DSWD, through the KALAHI-CIDSS program, is here to build a vibrant community and provide an immediate response to people’s needs),” the DSWD chief added.

Although KALAHI-CIDSS brings physical projects to communities, this does not mean that it is solely an infrastructure program. It brings about the empowerment of people to take charge of their communities by means of active participation and improves local governance by means of transparency and accountability among local officials in the implementation of government programs.

DSWD officials pose with the recipients of the 2-classroom building in Brgy. Lundag, an IP community.

Amalia Doydoy, a community volunteer and member of the Monitoring and Inventory Team (MIT) during the project implementation, shared how her experience with the program can be used as an actual life skill. “Nagpasalamat ko nga nahimo kong boluntir sa KALAHI kay nahatagan ko og oportunidad nga maka-istorya sa among kasinatian sa pagpadagan og proyekto ug ako kining magamit sa akoang pag-puyo isip ordinaryong lumulopyo sa among komunidad (I am thankful that I became a volunteer for KALAHI-CIDSS because I have been given the opportunity to talk about our experience in implementing a project and I can use this in my life as an ordinary citizen of my community),” Doydoy said.

Bohol Provincial Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado and Pilar Municipal Mayor Wilson Pajo expressed the same sentiments toward the completed projects that will bring a new face to development and will benefit disadvantaged communities. ###

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