Koronadal City— The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 12 has opened its annual search for unsung local heroes in recognition for their exemplary contributions to the development of their communities, an agency official said.

Dubbed as ‘BayanI Ka! Awards’, the search is an initiative of the agency’s one of the flagship poverty-reduction programs, Kalahi-CIDSS.

Gemma N. Rivera, DSWD 12 assistant regional director said that the award aims to acknowledge the hard work of individuals and local governments who put communities (“bayan” ) before their own selves (“I”).
“This initiative is one way to express gratitude to our partners and stakeholders in development whom we considered as our new generation’s heroes,” Rivera said.

This year’s contest, according to Rivera, will honor six individuals, two local government units and a certain organization extensively involved in the implementation of agency’s program.

The six individuals are community volunteers who have extraordinary contributions in fields of gender promotion, environmental protection, improved local governance, indigenous peoples’ welfare, peace promotion and including a person with disability, Rivera said.

According to Rivera, the agency is also set to recognize an outstanding barangay, town and group of individuals or organizations in the region for their initiatives undertaken to support and integrate the implementation of the community-driven development.

Rivera added that the regional winners will be automatically the official entry of the agency for the national search and serve as champions of the program in various platforms.

The agency will be accepting nomination until October 20 and it is open to the individuals, local government units and organizations who have or currently implementing Kalahi-CIDSS.

Kalahi-CIDSS, which stands for Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-A Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, is a program of DSWD that employs a strategy that gives opportunity to ordinary citizen to take active part in the governance and development directions of grassroots communities. (Hilbert T. Estacion, regional social marketing officer, DSWD 12)