By: Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA CITY, May 31 (PIA)- - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
has engaged civil society groups, non-government organizations and the business
sectors coming from the different municipalities in the region, in a dialogue
held recently in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
The engagement sought to identify potential
partners to aid in the implementation of the DSWD’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa
Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services
(Kalahi-CIDSS), a community-driven development project co-funded by the World
Bank.
Asst. Regional Director Zenaida Arevalo underscored the importance of partnerships forged between the government and non-government entities to realize the tremendous mission of poverty reduction.
Asst. Regional Director Zenaida Arevalo underscored the importance of partnerships forged between the government and non-government entities to realize the tremendous mission of poverty reduction.
“The DSWD cannot hope to solve the problem
of poverty on its own. That is why we are constantly looking for partners, from
government or from private and sectoral institutions, because we believe that
everyone has resources to share in our persistent fight against poverty,” Dir.
Arevalo said.
She said that the partners would not necessarily have to shell out funds – other resources, such as their knowledge and expertise are just as essential to the partnership, and to poverty reduction in the local level.
The DSWD has been engaging potential partners from civil society organizations and the private sector to a framework known as the Bantay, Tulay, Gabay and Kaagapay. In this context, partners can act as watchdogs in promoting transparency and eradicating corruption especially in the implementation of its projects such as Kalahi-CIDSS and Pantawid Pamilya; as providers of technical assistance, as information disseminators and routers, and as resource augmenters.
Early this year, the Kalahi-CIDSS project has started implementing in twelve municipalities (Naga, Malangas, ZSP; Tukuran, Tabina, Tigbao, Dumalinao, ZDS; Sibuco, Sirawai, Salug, Manuel Roxas, Baliguian, ZDN). The project is expected to run for three years in a chosen municipality, and almost in the entire project cycle, residents of communities are the main implementers (from project identification, procurement to actual construction of infrastructure, project management, etc.). As such, there is a need to tap local-level voluntary service providers such as people’s organizations, civil society organizations, and even the business sector to ensure that the community-implemented sub-projects are successfully implemented and remain sustainable.
During the dialogue, a total of twenty-one local sectors were represented. The DSWD will be thoroughly assessing the sectors’ available resources to formalize a memorandum of agreement to officially engage the partners. (JPA/DIS/DSWD9/PIA9-ZBST)
She said that the partners would not necessarily have to shell out funds – other resources, such as their knowledge and expertise are just as essential to the partnership, and to poverty reduction in the local level.
The DSWD has been engaging potential partners from civil society organizations and the private sector to a framework known as the Bantay, Tulay, Gabay and Kaagapay. In this context, partners can act as watchdogs in promoting transparency and eradicating corruption especially in the implementation of its projects such as Kalahi-CIDSS and Pantawid Pamilya; as providers of technical assistance, as information disseminators and routers, and as resource augmenters.
Early this year, the Kalahi-CIDSS project has started implementing in twelve municipalities (Naga, Malangas, ZSP; Tukuran, Tabina, Tigbao, Dumalinao, ZDS; Sibuco, Sirawai, Salug, Manuel Roxas, Baliguian, ZDN). The project is expected to run for three years in a chosen municipality, and almost in the entire project cycle, residents of communities are the main implementers (from project identification, procurement to actual construction of infrastructure, project management, etc.). As such, there is a need to tap local-level voluntary service providers such as people’s organizations, civil society organizations, and even the business sector to ensure that the community-implemented sub-projects are successfully implemented and remain sustainable.
During the dialogue, a total of twenty-one local sectors were represented. The DSWD will be thoroughly assessing the sectors’ available resources to formalize a memorandum of agreement to officially engage the partners. (JPA/DIS/DSWD9/PIA9-ZBST)