First ever Kalahi-CIDSS Caraga Community Volunteers’ Festival a success

Posted on May 28, 2018

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) –Caraga through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan- Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery for Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) Program, conducted the first ever Community Volunteers’ Summit cum Community-Driven Development (CDD) Festival at Placer, Surigao del Norte on May 11, 2018 for the Surigao del Norte Sub-Regional Program Management Office (SRPMO) (Cluster 1 and 2 municipalities implementing Kalahi-CIDSS) and at the Naliyagan Hall, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur on May 16, 2018 for the San Francisco, Agusan del Sur (Cluster 3 and 4).

*A snapshot of a portion of the community volunteers from cluster 1 and who joined the CDD festival.*

With the theme “Ipadayon ug Panghingusgan ang mga Nakab-ot diha sa Kalahi-CIDSS (Continuing and strengthening the success of Kalahi-CIDSS),” the activity was a venue to highlight the successful implementation of the program in the region and to recognize the significant contributions of the different partner-stakeholders of the program, most specifically community volunteers, in making these positive changes in different communities within Caraga.

*Community volunteers from cluster 1 and 2 who joined the essay writing contest received Kalahi-CIDSS advocacy t-shirts for the participation.*

Highlights of the festival were the Poster with Slogan Making contest, CDD Quiz Bowl, Sabayang Pagbigkas contest and the CDD essay writing contest. These activities were intended to showcase the talents, skills and knowledge of Kalahi-CIDSS community volunteers.

Deputy Regional Program Manager Ester Villamor, in her welcome message during the first leg of the event in Placer, challenged all the participants to enjoy the moment, as the activity was conceptualized to harness feedback from the community volunteers who are the activity component in the implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS.

In the same manner, Regional Community Development Specialist Elsa Montemor thanked the Local Government Units (LGU) for the preparation and for their full support in the activity for the conduct of the second leg of the activity at the Naliyagan Hall of Prosperidad. “Dinhi nato masaksihan ang paghatag sa inyong mga talento ug kahibalo ninyo sa Kalahi-CIDSS (Through this activity, we will be able to witness your talents and knowledge about Kalahi-CIDSS),” Montemor said.

*Masterpieces – Community volunteers from cluster 3 and 4 working on their Poster with Slogan Making Contest entries.*

For the Poster with Slogan Making contest, the representatives from the municipalities of Tagana-an (Cluster 1 and 2) and Barobo (Cluster 3 and 4) emerged victorious. They were able to receive Php6,000 worth of community development funds for the grand prize.

For the CDD Quiz Bowl, the five-member team of San Francisco (Anao-aon), Surigao del Norte (Cluster 1 and 2) and the team from RTR, Agusan del Norte (Cluster 3 and 4) respectively won the first prize for the contest and received cash prize worth Php7,500 as community development funds.

*The participants of the Sabayang Pagbigkas from the Municipality of Cagwait, Surigao del Sur deliver their piece at the Naliyagan Hall during the 1st CDD Festival.*

For the Sabayang Pagbigkas competition the municipalities of Placer, Surigao del Norte (Cluster 1 and 2) and Barobo (Cluster 3 and 4) ruled their respective fields. They each received a community development fund of Php15,000 which they may use in strengthening their respective community volunteer groups.

For the Essay Writing contest, the contestant from Gigaquit with a whopping average score of 100% bagged the title for Cluster 1 and 2, while the contestant from Bayabas, Surigao del Sur ruled it for the Cluster 3 and 4. Both received a community development incentive of Php5,000.

Both legs of the conduct of the CDD Festivals were a success. Regional Community Infrastructure Specialist Engr. Jovenal Bernat, in his closing message to the conduct for Cluster 3 and 4, gave thanks to all Community Volunteers who participated in the CDD festival.

The Cluster 1 and 2 winner of the Poster with Slogan Making Contest, community volunteer from Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte (center), show off his winning piece during the awarding ceremony. Awarding him are (from L-R) Adelito Mendoza (Sub-Regional Program Coordinator – Cluster 1 and 2), Ester Villamor (Deputy Regional Program Manager), Elsa Montemor (Regional Community Development Specialist), and Edward John Ty (Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist).

“Nakita nato ang ekspresyon ninyo gikan sa essay writing, sabayang pagbikas, poster with slogan making contest hantod sa quiz bowl. Diha nakita nato kung unsa inyong paghatag ug bili, isip volunteers, ngadto sa atong programa. Usa pa, isa kini ka pagtapok-tapok og pag-ilhanay, paghatag og mga kasinatian sa isig ka komunidad (We saw your knowledge and understanding about the program through the output you had from essay writing, sabayang pagbigkas, poster with slogan making contest and the quiz bowl. It was through this activity that you have showed us how you have given worth to our program),” Engr. Bernat said.

Community volunteers from cluster 3 and 4 pose to the camera during the closing of the 1st CDD Festival.

It was indeed a successful event, not just on the part of the program implementers, but for all stakeholders of the program, as the essence, the impact, and the spirit of CDD was in the air during the activity. The community volunteers showed their deep understanding of the processes of Kalahi-CIDSS, and it was definitely a reflection of the empowerment they harnessed from their active participation to all the activities in the program’s implementation. ###(CHRISTINE T. TIKIM/MARKO DAVEY D. REYES – Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga)