The Local Government Units of Laoang and Silvino Lobos of the Province of Northern Samar receives national recognition during the bayanI Ka! Awards on January 23, 2015 at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center, Makati City.

Laoang bags the bayanI Ka! award for Improved Local Governance Category while Silvino Lobos for Peace category, two major awards from the first search which will now be done yearly. The bayanI Ka! Awards is intended to acknowledge the hard work being put by the local, everyday heroes who put their own communities ‘bayan’ before their own selves ‘I’.

“Now is the time to acknowledge and recognize the efforts of our partner-stakeholders. With the scaling up of Kalahi-CIDSS into KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP, more and more modern heroes and advocates of transparency, accountability and empowerment shall arise.”, Regional Director Nestor Ramos said.

The bayanI Ka! Awards is a recognition given by the Department of Social Welfare and Development through its Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services–National Community Driven-Development Program (KALAHI CIDSS–NCDDP) National Program Management Office for the hard work and dedication done by program supporters – community volunteers, local government units, civil society organizations, and KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP Area and Municipal Coordinating Teams for their active role in promoting CDD or Community-Driven Development.

The CDD is an approach used by KALAHI CIDSS–NCDDP that puts the power back in the hands of the people giving them the opportunity to identify their own needs and make informed decisions. They are also trained to prepare project proposals to address their common problems. These projects include local infrastructure such as water system, roads, bridges, health stations and school buildings, which can provide better access to social services and alleviate poverty for their development as a community.

Each region has chosen one bayanI for individual, group and LGU categories from the six major areas including Gender, Disaster Risk Reduction Management/Environment Protection, Improved Local Governance, Indigenous People’s Welfare, Volunteerism and Peace to vie for the national selection. National and regional winners of said awards shall serve as the official ambassadors of the program in their respective arenas.

The bayanI Ka! awarding ceremony serves as the culminating event of the Unified Program Review and Evaluation Workshop to be attended by Regional Directors, Assistant Regional Directors and DSWD Key Officials nationwide.