Around 200 Local Chief Executives (LCE) and development partners from across the Philippines convened in Iloilo City for the 2024 LCE Forum, organized under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The two-day forum held on November 20 to 21, aimed to engage local government leaders in discussions centered on Community-Driven Development (CDD) and community resilience.

Further, this activity provided a platform for the LCEs, composed of Governors and Municipal Mayors, to be informed with the outcomes of CDD sub-projects implemented in their respective communities, evaluate its impacts, and explore future enhancements.

6 Local Chief Executives from Caraga Region participated to share their good practices and discuss possible solutions on emerging challenges while integrating community resilience into their development plans and strategies.

Featured during the event is an overview and introduction of the new initiative which is the Philippine Community Resilience Project or the “Panahon ng Pagkilos,” which will serve as the successor program of KALAHI-CIDSS in 2025 that is aimed to focus on community resilience.

In addition, the KALAHI-CIDSS National Program Management Office also provide the context of the new initiative which will succeed the closing of the National Community Driven Development Program – Additional Financing (NCDDP-AF) this 2024, the largest portfolio of KALAHI-CIDSS.

Part of the forum is the Tatak KALAHI-CIDSS Awards which recognizes exemplary Local Government Units (LGUs) under the supportive leadership of the LCEs relative to the establishment of the sub-projects which have significantly transformed communities and have fostered a lasting legacy of empowerment and resilience.

The Municipality of Tagbina has been recognized as the regional winner of the Tatak-KALAHI-CIDSS award for the CARAGA Region, honoring its Level II (pump-driven) Water System sub-project, which has been operational for over 16 years.

This recognition serves as testament to the effectiveness of collective action and the profound impact of their initiatives, reflecting their commitment to promote sustainable development and community well-being. It is also a mechanism to inspire LGUs to renew and be reminded of their commitments and roles in terms of sustainability.

With over two decades of experience in CDD implementation, DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS is committed to sustaining collaborations with LGUs and development partners to enhance community development efforts throughout the country.

Since it started in 2002, the KALAHI-CIDSS program has engaged with 2.8 million community volunteers, completed 91,385 community subprojects with an approximate funding of 104.8 billion pesos both from foreign assisted and locally funded projects, benefiting a total of 24.39 million households in the entire country.