IP Inclusion – A Kalahi-CIDSS Priority | DSWD Field Office CARAGA

Posted on November 23, 2015

Butuan City – The Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) Caraga has conducted a three (3) day training entitled “Facilitating Community-Driven Development (CDD) with Indigenous Peoples: Building the Capability of Kalahi-CIDSS Implementers to Facilitate CDD Sensitive to the Knowledge, Systems and Practices of IPs,” which was attended by different representatives from the Area Coordinating Teams (ACT), and the Sub-Regional Program Management Offices (SRPMOs).

Ms. Jane Austria-Young, IP Specialist opens the discussion on facilitating CDD with IPs during the first day of the training. She started her discussion by setting up the understanding of what IPs are, to have a common ground with the participants for a better flow of the discussions.

The training, which was held at Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort from November 21 – 23, 2015, intended to capacitate Kalahi-CIDSS workers on the proper facilitation of the program, especially in ensuring IP inclusion in the implementation.

IP inclusion, refers to guaranteeing the IP communities are able to participate in informed decision making for their community sub-projects. It is among the social safeguards advocated by Kalahi-CIDSS. This ensures that the program provides everyone the opportunity to be heard especially in making decisions for his/her community; this includes decision by the IPs.

The social safeguards of the program also ensures that any sub-project decided upon by the community, which will be built or implemented within ancestral lands protected and possessed by IP groups would come with an approval from the IP group and their leaders. In this way, the path towards empowerment and progress do not trample on other people’s rights.

The training was facilitated by Ms. Leslie Robles, National Social Safeguards Specialist, Ms. Didith Bosoen, Safeguards Officer, Ms. Jane Austria-Young, IP Specialist (Kalahi-CIDSS National Program Management Office), and Dr. Randy Rosas, National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP) – Provincial Officer for Agusan del Norte.

DSWD Caraga Assistant Regional Director for Operations Mita G. Lim reminded the participants, especially those ACTs working with IP communities to be very sensitive to the needs of the IPs. “Community empowerment and development will only be achieved through an inclusive approach to towards progress. No one should be left out in promoting the development programs and services of the Department,” Lim said.

Participants of the training try to come up with their expectations and commitments to the three (3) – day training. IP engagement and inclusion is one of the social safeguards of the Kalahi-CIDSS implementation being given utmost attention to ensure success of the program.

With the said training, field workers will equip themselves of the necessary skills on how to communicate and convey the program to the IP communities. This will ensure IP’s active participation in the decision making and sub-project implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS, and guarantee that IP rights, culture, and their tradition will not be brushed aside. ###(MARKO DAVEY D. REYES/Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga)