The Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) conducted a writeshop for community facilitators and volunteers on January 24-25, 2013 at Cawacsi Training Center, Tacloban City.

The activity was participated by community facilitators and volunteers from the guaranteed municipalities covered by the project in Samar.

These municipalities are: Matuginao, Daram, Sto. Niňo, Gandara, San Sebastian, Motiong, Talalora, and San Jose de Buan – all funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) through the Millennium Challenge Account-Philippines (MCA-P).

The writeshop aimed to develop the participants’ skills in news and feature writing, assist the participants to write their experiences about the project implementation in their municipalities, and come up with a compendium of best practice stories, and at the same time strengthen the advocacy and social marketing aspect of the project.

Newly installed Regional Director Remia Tapispisan welcomed the participants to the said activity and encouraged them to support and actively participate in the two-day writeshop.

The Social Marketing Unit (SMU), headed by Vina Aquino, Regional Information Officer, and Kalahi-CIDSS Social Marketing Officer Maricel Simbajon, facilitated the said writeshop, while Leyte Normal University (LNU) Professor Eva Lapasanda, served as the resource speaker.

Kalahi-CIDSS is an anti-poverty project of the government spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It is a community-driven development program that aims to empower the community, improve local governance, and reduce poverty.