DSWD prepares to expand Cordillera resilience programs

BAGUIO CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Cordillera is advancing preparations to expand its community development and resilience programs following a series of provincial stakeholder meetings and municipal capacity assessments held across the region in October 2026.

As part of the Panahon ng Pagkilos: Philippine Community Resilience Project, provincial interagency and technical working group meetings were held in Apayao on October 15, Abra on October 20 and Mountain Province on October 22.

Representatives from provincial and municipal governments joined officials from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and regional program management teams.

Participants discussed municipal resilience plans, potential funding contributions from provincial and national agencies, and technical support mechanisms needed to implement community-identified infrastructure projects.

Proposed subprojects focused on irrigation and water supply systems, flood control structures, access roads, multipurpose buildings, slope protection and footpaths to reduce disaster risks and improve access to local services.

The agency also assessed the institutional readiness of six target municipalities from October 13 to 15 to determine their operational capacity for program implementation in 2027.

Under the Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP), the municipalities of Lagayan, Pilar, Tineg and Villaviciosa in Abra were assessed for inclusion in the second batch.

Meanwhile, Natonin and Tadian in Mountain Province were evaluated under the Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay modality.

All six municipalities met the evaluation standards.

The assessments covered organizational structures, staff competencies, management systems, policies, knowledge management and leadership.

The evaluations also clarified local government commitments to resource management, disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation and community-driven development.

The findings will serve as a framework for technical assistance and capacity-building programs tailored to each municipality ahead of the full project rollout in 2027.