The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has formalized its partnership with UP Diliman (UPD) through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that strengthens further the shared vision of both parties regarding community-driven development.
The MOA, signed on May 13 at the Office of the Chancellor (OC), outlined the partnership between UPD and DSWD for its Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) program.
According to the DSWD website, Kalahi-CIDSS is the government’s poverty alleviation program that “uses the community-driven development (CDD) approach, a globally recognized strategy for achieving service delivery, poverty reduction, and good governance outcomes.” Its development objective is “to have barangays/communities of targeted municipalities become empowered to achieve improved access to services and to participate in more inclusive local planning, budgeting, and implementation.”
Among the University commitments to the DSWD are: designating of representatives of the Kalahi-CIDSS through the UPD College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD), determining Kalahi-CIDSS areas as field instruction areas for the deployment of CSWCD students, and coordinating with the Kalahi-CIDSS on program collaboration.
UPD Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II said the UPD-DSWD partnership is deeply important because it “reflects a shared commitment to strengthening community-based learning, advancing research and extension, supporting participatory and people-centered development practice, and contributing to the continuing growth of the social work profession in both academe and public service.”
He added, “through this partnership, we are not only training students. We are helping shape future leaders who will continue the work of building responsive institutions, empowering communities, and advancing social justice, and inclusive development in the Philippines.”
Meanwhile, DSWD Assistant Secretary Edmon Monteverde hopes that the MOA serves as a strong foundation for sustained collaboration and “contributes to building resilient and empowered communities across the country.”
For her part, DSWD Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez expressed her gratitude to the University for being a strong DSWD partner.
“This partnership reflects a shared belief that development is most meaningful when it is participatory, when it empowers people, and when it bridges knowledge and action,” she said.
Romualdez also announced that for their assistance in implementing the Kalahi-CIDSS field activities, CSWCD student interns will receive cash-for-work assistance that will help support the students’ educational expenses. Witnessing the MOA signing between UPD through Vistan and DSWD through Romualdez, aside from Monteverde were CSWCD Dean Justin Francis Leon Nicolas; UPD Department of Social Work (DSW) Chair Hazel Cometa-Lamberte; Caroline L. Balmes and Ana Teresa L. Prondosa, assistant professors at DSW; and Program Manager Bernadette Mapue-Joaquin of the Kalahi-CIDSS.