There is fulfillment and accomplishment in helping the communities in their barangay to have their own barangay development plan (BDP), DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS Community Volunteer Ermelinda Bahatan from Hingyon, Ifugao shared when recently asked to describe her experience facilitating the formulation of BDP. 

For more than two decades, the KALAHI-CIDSS program implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been championing Community Driven Development (CDD), an international approach used in order to enable poor municipalities to rise above poverty, vulnerability and marginalization. 

The program implemented for more than 20 years aims to institutionalize the CDD approach in the local government. In order to achieve this, the program conducted a roll-out training on the enhanced guidelines of the BDP in order to produce enough trainer workforce who will be conducting coaching and training and in order for the municipalities to craft their BDPs for them to be guided in their development.  

BDP is a comprehensive multi-sectoral development plan is formulated through an inclusive and participatory approach led by the barangay development council. It is an official document of the barangay that specify policy options, programs, projects and activities intended to contribute towards the achievement of the barangay’s developmental goals and objectives. 

In the Cordillera region, the roll out training for the municipal and barangay level started as a result of the Regional Training of Trainers (RTOT) on BDP held in Baguio City on July 2023. The activity is in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and its Local Government Academy (LGA). The activity further seeks to develop and produce enough trainer workforce who will be conducting training, coaching and mentoring in the program. 

Ermelinda who was among the participants of the RTOT recognized the training as an opportunity to gain new learning experience and additional knowledge having been newly appointed then as a new job order staff of the Municipal Planning and Development Office.

After the conduct of the regional training, the municipal led BDP workshop commenced on September 2023 together with the Area Coordinating Team of Hingyon with Ermelinda serving as one of the facilitator and resource speaker. 

In the roll-out for the training for BDP in the barangay level, she highlighted the importance of BDP before implementing the Programs, Projects and Activities (PPAs) in the barangay. She also stressed that the key to formulating plans is the participation and open communication of the members and barangay officials. 

Championing KALAHI-CIDSS and continuously serving the communities, Ermelinda has been the BDC-TWG Chairperson of Barangay Cababuyan South since August 2021. Following the Community Empowerment Activity Cycle (CEAC) process of the program, she facilitated the conduct of Participatory Situational Analysis, writing of project proposals, lead of the Operations and Maintenance of community sub-projects. 

She describes KALAHI-CIDSS as a means to perfecting the community processes wherein the community themselves participate in the inclusive planning, budgeting and implementation of the projects. 

Also joining Ermelinda during the RTOT is Municipal Planning and Development Office staff from Asipulo, Ifugao Mr. Arnold G. Guyguyon. He said that in the preparation of their municipal BDPs, they have employed tools that were gained through the training. 

 “All these tools that were used should be employed in the preparation of BDP so that there is a holistic approach in coming up with the BDP which is based on facts, what are the actual practices, and it should come from the people through their participation,” he stated.

Guyguyon added that the training program plays an important role in the implementation of planning activities in the barangay through the presence of trained barangay officials and volunteers who have enhanced the preparation of their plans using the different tools for planning.  

Moreover, Kabayan Municipal Local Government Operations Officer Rolando R. Gonzales highlighted the importance of having BDPs in the local level which properly guide the barangay in the implementation of their PPAs.  “Importante ito sa pagtulong natin sa mga barangay. Properly guided sila, paano i-implement ang PPAs nila sa plano (BDP), Gonzales stated.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region, a total of 59 municipalities with 117 LGU staff were capacitated as regional trainers. # DSWD FIELD OFFICE CAR, KALAHI-CIDSS SOCIAL MARKETING OFFICER LAUREN A. ALIMONDO