SAN ISIDRO, Davao Oriental, Aug. 25 (PNA) -– The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region XI (DSWD-XI) has resolved all conflict cases in the province.
Data from the DSWD-XI showed as of June 2015, there was a zero backlog on the 1,784 filed grievances from all barangays in the province.
With this, Elvira Anduyan, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), said the community would form a committee that would assist the Community Empowerment Facilitator (CEF) in making the Grievance Redress System (GRS) functional in the barangay.
“Committee members will train on Installation, Handling and Monitoring Structures as well as Monitoring and Reporting System where they learn documenting resolution process of conflict,” Anduyan said.
The elected members, together with the assigned CEF, will report to DSWD Regional Office on their observations of conflicts and wrongdoings in the area.
Anduyan added that the filing of GRS could be done through text message or through the use of the suggestion box lodged at the Kalahi-CIDSS Corner in the Barangay Hall
“This is a good manifestation that the program is able to empower people since they are very much involved and can now readily express their issues and suggestions on how to improve the implementation of the program,” Ma. Annabelle Jabla, Deputy Regional Program Manager for Kalahi-CIDSS said.
Meanwhile, Fulgencia Lagmay, a 73-year-old Kalahi-CIDSS volunteer in Barangay Manikling, cited the benefit of the GRS in empowering the community through enhanced participation.
She said the installation of GRS paved the way for the realization of the principles of the program such as genuine community involvement, accountability and transparency.
Lagmay said a feature of the program that she appreciated the most was GRS, adding that the capacity building activities, through GRS, enabled her to speak in front of a crowd and took a more active role in project implementation and management.
A mother of six, Lagmay now chairs Kalahi-CIDSS Barangay Sub-project Management Committee (BSPMC) in her barangay.
“Napuno og pasalamat ang akong kasing kasing sa mga oportunidad nga gihatag sa Kalahi-CIDSS sa mga yanong tao sama namo. Kaya namo ang pag bag-o tungod kay padayon ang pagsuporta sa gobyerno sa pagpalambo sa among kaalam (My heart is overflowing with gratefulness for the opportunities accessed to ordinary folks like us. We can do it. We can improve our lives because government continues to help us develop our knowledge and skills),” Lagmay said.
“Sa una, mahadlok mi mo-istorya kay mahadlok mi sa mga tao nga naa sa posisyon sa gobyerno. Pero sa Kalahi-CIDSS, ilang gipabati sa amoa naa mi katungod nga mupagawas sa among mga mulo ug mga tanyag nga sa tan-aw namo, makatabang sa paglambo sa proseso sa programa (Before, we were afraid to speak out for we felt intimidated by government workers. However, Kalahi-CIDSS helped us realize that we are free to voice out our thoughts and opinions which we believe are vital in the program).”
“GRS is one of the key elements of Kalahi-CIDSS where the stakeholders and the volunteers at large are provided a venue to express their concerns, complaints and suggestions to improve the program,” said DSWD XI Regional Director Priscilla Razon.
Kalahi-CIDSS is a community-driven development project of the national government which aims to empower communities through their enhanced participation in local governance and poverty alleviation projects.(PNA)