Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Wednesday led the launching of the Panahon ng Pagkilos: Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP), a new community driven development (CDD) program designed to build climate-resilient communities.
In his message at the launching held at the Blu Radisson Hotel in Cebu City, Gatchalian said the Panahon ng Pagkilos serves as the successor initiative to the long-running Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), a DSWD program known for community empowerment.
“As we move forward in our development strategies, we are ready to take the community-driven development approach to another level with the Panahon ng Pagkilos, a natural successor to KALAHI-CIDSS. Still espousing CDD, the Panahon ng Pagkilos adds a key indicator that is significant in today’s time — climate change resilience,” he said.
Spanning more than two decades of implementation, the KALAHI-CIDSS program was responsible for the development of more than 91,000 community sub-projects nationwide, benefitting more than 24 million households across all regions.
Similar to KALAHI-CIDSS, the DSWD’s Panahon ng Pagkilos also champions grassroots empowerment, where the community identifies, plans, proposes and implements the sub-projects beneficial to their development.
The innovative project is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to bring empowerment at the grassroots level and ensure climate change resilient communities.
“The launch of this project could not come at a more opportune time, as we have seen and experienced how disasters can take progress back to zero, capable of destroying built structures, and dampening the hope of the communities in the process. The Panahon ng Pagkilos is our response to that. More than empowering the communities and building progress, we will capacitate them on how to do it amidst the destructive effects of climate change,” Gatchalian said.
Under the Panahon ng Pagkilos, 500 municipalities across 49 provinces with high poverty incidence, heightened exposure to environmental hazards, and significant indigenous people (IP) population are set to benefit from the program.
The PCRP launching was held along with the 2025 Local Chief Executives (LGE) Forum where the accomplishments of KALAHI-CIDSS were celebrated.
The local government units (LGUs) that helped support the KALAHI-CIDSS implementation were also given recognition.
“Behind the success of every project are our local chief executives. All of you here have been crucial to the gains of the KALAHI-CIDSS project,” Gatchalian said.
The event also featured the Tatak KALAHI-CIDSS LGU Awards, which recognized 16 LGUs for their outstanding performance and leadership in implementing CDD principles.
Special citations were likewise awarded to partner organizations that significantly contributed to community development and resilience efforts.
The DSWD and the Ayala Foundation Inc. also carried out the ceremonial turnover of the “20-Year Journey” coffee table book, which documents the stories, milestones and transformative community experiences under the KALAHI-CIDSS program.
Attended by more than 500 delegates, the LCE Forum and Panahon ng Pagkilos launching reaffirmed the strong collaboration among the LGUs, national agencies and development organizations. (PNA)