The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its KALAHI-CIDSS National Program Management Office, successfully conducted the National Bayani Ka! cum Tatak KALAHI-CIDSS LGU Awards on September 22, 2026, at the SMX Sky Hall in Bacolod City.
Led by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, alongside Undersecretary for Operations Pinky Romualdez, Assistant Secretary for Promotive Programs Edmon Monteverde, KALAHI-CIDSS National Program Manager Atty. Bernadette Mapue-Joaquin, Deputy National Program Manager for Technical Support Didith Bosoen, and Regional Directors from DSWD Field Offices nationwide, the ceremony recognized outstanding community volunteers and partner LGUs across two main tracks:
- Bayani Ka! Awards – Honored extraordinary community volunteers and local leaders in categories such as Gender and Development, Environmental Protection/DRRM, Indigenous Peoples Welfare, Senior Citizens, and Volunteerism.
- Tatak KALAHI-CIDSS LGU Awards – Recognized top-performing municipal, barangay, and provincial LGUs—including Lopez Jaena (Misamis Occidental), Claveria (Masbate), and Zamboanguita (Negros Oriental)—for co-funding sub-projects and institutionalizing Community-Driven Development (CDD).
A major highlight of the event was the official launch of the Performance-Based Grant for Sustainability (PBGS). The PBGS provides direct grant funding to high-performing Local Government Units (LGUs) to maintain community infrastructure, strengthen participatory governance, and enhance local disaster resilience.
About KALAHI-CIDSS
The Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) is one of the flagship poverty alleviation programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It uses the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach to empower communities to analyze their local problems, design and implement solutions, and manage resources to achieve sustainable development.