As part of the continuing preparations for Panahon ng Pagkilos: Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP), the final Stakeholders’ Consultation Meeting was successfully conducted with the Visayas Cluster, covering Regions VI, NIR, VII, and VIII. This marks the last of the series of regional consultations, ensuring that voices from all corners of the country are heard before the project moves forward to implementation.
In her opening message, Atty. Bernadette A. Mapue-Joaquin, National Program Manager of KALAHI-CIDSS, shared an important milestone: the Panahon ng Pagkilos project has been favorably endorsed by the ICC Technical Board to the ICC Cabinet Committee. This is a significant step toward securing approval for full-scale implementation, reinforcing the government’s commitment to strengthening community resilience across the country.
Deputy National Program Manager Didith Bosoen provided an in-depth overview of the Panahon ng Pagkilos, highlighting its objectives, components, and implementation strategy. The discussion emphasized the project’s focus on community resilience planning, environmental and social safeguards, and investments in sustainable and disaster-resilient initiatives.
The Visayas region has the largest project coverage, with 190 municipalities included in the project. Given the scale of implementation in this cluster, stakeholders shared valuable insights and recommendations on key aspects of project implementation, particularly on the eligibility of resilience-focused sub-projects, environmental permitting processes, land acquisition considerations, and support for vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens and youth.
Discussions also explored potential initiatives such as community-based conservation programs, critical habitat preservation, reforestation efforts, and emergency response infrastructure.
As with previous consultation, Regional Program Management Offices (RPMOs) facilitated discussions in local languages and dialects, ensuring that all participants fully understood the project’s details and could actively contribute to the conversation. Representatives from the World Bank were also present to observe the discussions and engagements.
These inputs, along with the valuable recommendations from LGUs, BLGUs, and community volunteers, will be carefully considered in the finalization of project guidelines to ensure that Panahon ng Pagkilos remains inclusive, responsive, and aligned with the needs of the communities it serves.
With the conclusion of this final consultation, the project is now moving toward the finalization of its guidelines and implementation frameworks.