The wait is finally over for a Municipality that the department has longed to be part and now we welcome anew the Municipality of Titay, Province of Sibugay as they has just launched Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services National Community-Driven Development Program (Kalahi-CIDSS-NCDDP) last March 28, 2017.

Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP is one of the poverty alleviation programs implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that seeks to empower communities to achieve improved access to services and participate in more inclusive local planning, budgeting and implementation

The launching of the program was solidified through a MOA signing between the Local Government Unit of Titay headed by Hon. Mayor Leonardo B. Talania and with the department through Assistant Regional Director and the Regional Program Manager Consejo H. Usman in the presence of the different department heads and national government agencies and barangay officials.

Hon. Municipal Mayor Leonardo B. Talania expressed his gratitude to the department for persistently reaching out to the municipality to be part of Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP implementation, “kining Kalahi, sa una pa man ni nag suporta sa atong munisipyo. Pero sa akong pag-tan-aw, wala man ni gidawat sa una, so kay nag tan-aw man ta sa kaayuhan sa atong lungsod sa Titay, naningkamot ang konseho, wa gyud ko nasayud mga kaigsuonan”.

Then Deputy Regional Program Manager Elpidio Lapad was elated with the presence of the stakeholders specially the barangay officials knowing that the implementation will now be realized after encountering hurdles in the past as he provided an overview of the program’s features and processes.

Assistant Regional Director for Operations Consejo H. Usman commended the people of Titay for engaging with the program as she humbly recalled how the department went home frustrated on several occasions but the management is still pursuing and insisting to engage Titay, simply because it is one of the qualified Municipalities who deserve the program.

And indeed, hard work paid off, ARDO Usman ensured full support of the department in the implementation of the program in terms of technical assistance, logistical support for operations, capacity-building and trainings with the hope to see transformation in the attitude and values of the people and see the empowerment embodies within the volunteers and to include all other sectors in the community.

And to help achieve the objectives of the program, an Area Coordinating Team (ACT) consist of 13 staff  was also presented with the corresponding Municipal Coordinating Team (MCT) who will work hand in hand to ensure the facilitation of the implementation process.

In acceptance of the program, the Chairpersons of the 30 barangays composes the municipality of Titay, local unit heads, NGAs, CSOs, Sangguniang members, and Hon. Mayor Talania signed in their commitment to support the implementation.

Thus the launching is just the beginning of the many activities that will take place as soon as the Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP implementation calendar gets rolling with the participation of the different sectors of the community and with the support of the local chief executive, the municipal and barangay officials, the volunteers and the men and women of Titay.