Butuan City- Thirty (30) media partners grace today’s press conference at Almont Hotel and Inland Resort, Butuan City hosted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga, through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services-National Community-Driven Development Program (KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP).

Regional Director Minda B. Brigoli in her welcome message bared that the main objective of the event is to present to the local tri-media the region’s accomplishments in the year 2014 implementation of KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP.

“The media are major stakeholders of this Program and true to its principles of participatory, transparency, and accountability, this press conference aims to share with them the regional accomplishments of the Program for the year 2014 as well as the updates and the direction we are going to take for 2015,” said Brigoli.

“As partners, we would like the media to be one with us in the advocacy of alleviating poverty in the country,” she added.

During the press conference, Regional Community Development Specialist Elsa D. Montemor provided an orientation about the Program and its nationwide and region-wide coverage.

Meanwhile, Deputy Regional Program Manager Ester V. Villamor presented the physical, financial, and social accomplishments of KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP.

In Villamor’s presentation, she revealed that 180 community sub-projects composed of solar power street lights, concrete pathways, multi-purpose buildings, pre-and-post harvest facilities, drainage canals, level II water system, solar dryers, wooden footbridge, tribal house, and others were completed under the funding of the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamanayaNAn (PAMANA).

“These sub-projects from the Php53.7M PAMANA grant are expected to benefit a total of 78,435 households of which 43,534 are Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries,” reported Villamor.

“We are on track and we are on time, that’s how we work in KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP,” she added.

Also in the presidential table to answer the questions of the media during the open forum are Assistant Regional Director for Operations and Regional Program Manager Mita G. Lim, Assistant Regional Director for Administration Nerisa T. Murih, Pantawid Pamilya Regional Program Coordinator Alma S. Patron, and Sustainable Livelihood Program Roy R. Serdeña.

Present media partners are the following: Radyo Trumpeta, ABS-CBN TV Patrol Caraga, Periodico, Manila Bulletin, Bombo Radyo, Real Radio, Philippine News Agency, TV5, DXMK, RMN-dxBC, Hope Radio, dxJM, Centro Daily, GMA7, and Mindanao News Courier.

The said press conference served as the opening activity for the program review and evaluation workshop (PREW) of KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP attended by the regional program management office and the area coordinating teams. ###(Social Marketing Unit/ DSWD Field Office Caraga)