The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) program was recognized at a regional gathering of Southeast Asian leaders for advancing community empowerment and participatory governance.

During the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) High-Level Forum on March 4, Indonesian Deputy Minister for the Coordination of Family Quality Improvement and Population Affairs Her Excellency Woro Srihastuti Sulistyaningrum cited KALAHI-CIDSS as a model social development initiative in the region.

In her presentation at The Peninsula Manila in Makati City, Sulistyaningrum highlighted the Philippine program as an example of a whole-of-society approach that enables communities to drive their own development.

“In the Philippines, the KALAHI-CIDSS program is a shining example of community-driven development (CDD), empowering barangays to take charge of their own progress,” she said.

KALAHI-CIDSS is a flagship DSWD poverty-reduction program that applies the community-driven development approach, encouraging residents to identify priority needs, plan projects, and directly manage solutions to local problems.

Through the initiative, community members actively participate in decision-making processes, strengthening volunteerism, local leadership, and grassroots governance.

DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao welcomed the recognition, saying it affirms the government’s efforts to promote inclusive development.

“We express our sincere appreciation to H.E. Sulistyaningrum for recognizing the DSWD’s KALAHI-CIDSS as a program that advances participatory governance by empowering communities to take an active role in their own development,” Dumlao said.

She added that as chair of this year’s ASCC, the Philippines supports calls for stronger collaboration among ASEAN member states to share best practices and expand successful social empowerment programs across the region.

Building on the gains of KALAHI-CIDSS, the DSWD launched the Panahon ng Pagkilos: Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP) in 2025, a successor initiative aimed at strengthening grassroots resilience against climate change and disasters using the same community-driven approach.

For 2026, the PCRP aims to cover 500 municipalities in 49 provinces, prioritizing areas with high poverty incidence, heightened environmental risks, and significant Indigenous Peoples communities.