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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider New DSWD, NGO partnership to boost support for indigenous peoples

New DSWD, NGO partnership to boost support for indigenous peoples

Published Jun 19, 2025 02:29 pm
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Council for Climate and Conflict Action Asia (CCAA) formalized a partnership through the “Kasama Katutubo Project” to develop a values-based, resilience-sensitive survey tool for Indigenous Peoples. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and CCAA Executive Director Francisco Lara Jr. signed the memorandum of understanding on June 19, 2025 at the DSWD Central Office, witnessed by DSWD Undersecretary Fatima Dimaporo and CCAA Trustee Nikki De La Rosa. (DSWD Photo)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Council for Climate and Conflict Action Asia (CCAA) formalized a partnership through the “Kasama Katutubo Project” to develop a values-based, resilience-sensitive survey tool for Indigenous Peoples. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and CCAA Executive Director Francisco Lara Jr. signed the memorandum of understanding on June 19, 2025 at the DSWD Central Office, witnessed by DSWD Undersecretary Fatima Dimaporo and CCAA Trustee Nikki De La Rosa. (DSWD Photo)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has partnered with the non-government organization (NGO) Climate Conflict Action Asia (CCAA) to improve government services for Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) across the country.
The collaboration, called the “Kasama Katutubo Project,” seeks to develop a culturally sensitive survey tool that recognizes the unique experiences, cultural traditions, and resilience of indigenous communities, which are often overlooked by standard assessment tools.
“In order for us to come up with programs that will suit the IP communities, we have to first know who they are, we have to understand where they are coming from and put that in the context of program formulation,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday, June 19.
The ceremony was led by Gatchalian and CCAA Executive Director Francisco Lara Jr., with DSWD Undersecretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Fatima Aliah Dimaporo and CCAA Trustee and Senior Adviser Nikki Philline De La Rosa as witnesses.
CCAA is a regional organization dedicated to addressing the impacts of climate change and conflict, particularly among vulnerable groups such as IPs. 
Through the Kasama Katutubo Project, the new survey tool will be piloted in five selected indigenous communities, providing DSWD valuable data to better understand the specific needs of ICCs and IPs.
“The overall neglect the IP communities are experiencing from different agencies is indeed a ticking time bomb. We at the department, we are equally as guilty in the sense that we do not cater to the IPs’ distinct needs, distinct aspirations, and distinct identities. Most of our programs here are cookie-cutter programs that are tailor fit without really listening to what they need,” Gachalian said.
“A lot of programs of the national government, I think, lack that distinction, taking into account the nuances of the context, most especially of the hundreds of IP communities out there. So, we are very thankful because you are pointing us in the right direction, getting to know who our clients are,” he added.
Gatchalian also expressed the agency’s gratitude to the CCAA for the support and collaboration to better serve the ICCs and IPs.
“Yes, we are all Filipinos but we do admit that in the IP communities, there are nuances that give them a distinct set of values that we have to enshrine and connect to this program. We are very thankful because I think it is a long journey but you are pointing us in the right direction. We look forward to working with all of you,” he said.

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DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian IPs Climate Conflict Action Asia
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