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) Field Office Caraga completed the construction of a drainage canal worth Php331,570.00 in Barangay Magsaysay, Tagbina, Surigao del Sur.

After years of dealing with the difficulties caused by overflowing rainwater that disrupted daily life and caused damage to homes and roads. Barangay Magsaysay now has a functional canal to redirect the waters, easing the burden on homes and roads alike.

The turnover ceremony was attended by Municipal Mayor Glaiza Lanete, Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members, Municipal Inter-Agency Committee (MIAC) members, Barangay Local Government Unit (BLGU) officials, KALAHI-CIDSS Regional Program Management Office (RPMO) staff, and community volunteers.

In her message, Mayor Lanete reflected on the challenges and collaborative efforts that led to the success of the sub-project.

“Nindot kayo dumduman nga kaniadto nag sige pa ta ug sabot-sabot. Nag-identify pa ug unsa nga proyekto ang mosulod sa Phase 2. Una nag-groundbreaking og karun nag turnover na. Makita nato ang proyekto nga natuman, inubanan kana sa pagsuporta sa atong community volunteers (It’s wonderful to look back and remember when we were just discussing which projects to include in Phase 2. Now, we’re celebrating the turnover of a completed sub-project, this is because of the dedication and support of our community volunteers.),” Mayor Lanete expressed.

𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞: 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐇𝐈-𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐒𝐒 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬

Mayor Lanete highlighted the role of KALAHI-CIDSS community volunteers in creating meaningful change, even without holding a position in government.

“KALAHI-CIDSS Community Volunteers’ Night, with the theme: Pakiglambigit, Pakipaghiusa, Pasalamat — collaboration, unity, and gratitude. The event was initiated to honor the volunteers whose unseen efforts transformed this project from an idea into a reality. They came from all corners of the barangay, each with stories of struggle and perseverance, and today, they stood celebrated, applauded by the very neighbors they had worked tirelessly to help,” she added.

Moreover, Project Preparation Team (PPT) Chairperson Riza Lubrico, a longtime community volunteer expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the KALAHI-CIDSS program for initiating Community-Driven Development.

“Among dakong pasalamat sa KALAHI-CIDSS, sa among counterpart sa MLGU og sa BLGU, mao nang kami nga mga volunteers dili magluya-luya. Ang ako lang gyod ma-ingon, pwede nato ma-ipanghinambog sa atong mga anak puhon, dili lang ta usa ka-volunteer kung dili kabahin ta sa mga proyekto nga napuslan og nisulbad sa mga problema sa mga katawhan (We, the volunteers, are very grateful to the KALAHI-CIDSS, and to our MLGU and BLGU counterparts, because of this, we as community volunteers will never be tired of volunteering. All I can say is, we can proudly tell our children in the future that we were not just volunteers, but we are part of projects that benefited and solved the problems of our community),” Lubrico remarked.

KALAHI-CIDSS is one of the poverty alleviation programs implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) of the Philippine Government. It uses the community-driven development (CDD) approach, a globally recognized strategy for achieving service delivery, poverty reduction, and good governance outcomes.