To support a more efficient delivery of government services to the community, Cordillera’s highest planning and policy-making bodies – the Regional Development Council-Regional Peace and Order Council (RDC-RPOC) – urged local government units to adopt the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach through RDC-ROPC CAR Joint Resolution 5, s. 2019.
CDD is a strategy that aims to empower ordinary Filipinos, especially those who are poor, vulnerable, and marginalized, to participate in government projects and activities. One way to obtain this is through the participatory situational analysis (PSA) where the community itself identifies and prioritizes projects to be implemented given their available resources. This way, they are given the opportunity to voice out their needs and suggest solutions to challenges in their community, including what contributions they can make for its implementation.
From 2019 to this year, 11 municipalities have adopted this process through resolutions and/or ordinances. The resolutions were implemented in Lagayan and Lacub, Abra; barangays Loo in Buguias, Benguet; Ba-i, Collago, Pang-ot, Poblacion, and Pulot in Lagayan, Abra; Bolbolo, Brookside, Nanangduan, and Ocup in Pilar, Abra; and Danggo, Binablayan, and Wangwang in Tinoc, Ifugao.
Ten municipalities – Asipulo, Ifugao; Kabayan, Kapangan, and Kibungan, Benguet; Mayoyao, Ifugao; Pasil, Ifugao; Pilar, Tinoc, Tubo, and Villaviciosa, Abra, and Barangay Baculongan Norte of Buguias, Benguet have approved ordinances for CDD adoption. These are in addition to the eight municipalities – Barlig, Besao, Sadanga and Sagada, Mountain Province; Buguias, Benguet; Malibcong, Abra; Pudtol, Apayao; and Tinglayan, Kalinga adopting CDD principles before RDC’s call for institutionalization in 2019.
To aid in a more inclusive and participative project implementation, most of the local government units included in their resolutions/ordinances accreditation of civil society organizations and community-based organizations to be members of the Barangay Development Council (BDC).
The BDC assists the sangguniang barangay in setting the direction of economic and social development and coordinating development efforts within its jurisdiction. This way, citizens are further empowered to express their needs through their representation in the BDC.
CDD also encourages transparency of government processes and activities to the community. One way for this to be achieved is reporting the actual accomplishments of the projects with the financial aspects during barangay assemblies. Another process that was adopted by the LGUs is the formation or tapping of operations and maintenance group from the community to ensure the functionality and sustainability of the projects implemented.
Other principles of the CDD strategy were adopted individually by the LGUs as reflected in their resolutions and/or ordinances. These LGUs have implemented the CDD strategy in more than three social and developmental projects that were funded under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Kapit bisig laban sa kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services program.
DSWD continuously advocates for the institutionalization of the CDD principles as a long-term strategy to enhance participation, transparency, and accountability in governance. – Eden Faith S. Fataner
July 27, 2024
