𝐃𝐒𝐖𝐃 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞: The DSWD Field Office 8, through its Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan- Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Regional Program Management Office and Social Marketing Unit, conducted a Partnership Forum with around 65 National Government Agencies in the region as an initiative to intensify its advocacy efforts to promote the Community-Driven development approach of the program at the Leyte Academic Center, Palo, Leyte on 26 November 27, 2024.

Attended by Regional Directors, Heads of Offices and representatives, and Information Officers, the main highlight of the event is the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to institutionalize the partnership among government institutions to strengthen the whole-of-government approach of information dissemination and development communication in line with the program’s aim to promote community empowerment.

“Community-Driven Development promotes participation, transparency, and accountability and we want to spread these key principles of the program to our communities, with the support of our partner agencies; we are partners to influence change in our communities,” DSWD Field Office 8 Regional Director Grace Q. Subong emphasized during the activity.

The event also introduced the proposed Philippine Community Resilience Project “Panahon ng Pagkilos,” with an objective to strengthen community capacities for participatory resilience planning and deliver resilience investments in vulnerable areas to lobby future collaborations with partner agencies for the implementation of the project.

The Association of Government Information Officers 8 (AGIO-8), which mobilizes the government information officers in the region for public information and advocacy, also signified its support as a platform in ensuring community empowerment, not only among government agencies but also with the sectors which each member of the community or association serves.

Some of the National Government Agencies present during the activity were the following: National Economic and Development Authority 8, Philippine Information Agency Eastern Visayas, DENR- Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Agriculture, Office of Civil Defense, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tacloban, National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Tourism Region VIII, and Department of Health-Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development, among others.

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