CORDILLERA, Philippines — The DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS conducted the First Barangay Assembly (BA) for the Panahon ng Pagkilos: Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP) across 135 barangays in the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, and Mountain Province in the Cordillera region from 13 June to 20 July 2026.

The municipalities of Luba, Daguioman, and Malibcong in Abra; Conner, Kabugao, and Calanasan in Apayao; Bokod and Buguias in Benguet; and Sagada and Sadanga in Mountain Province conducted assemblies in their respective barangays, mobilizing household heads, barangay officials, and community leaders and volunteers.

As part of the Community Resilience Implementation Process (CRIP), the First BA laid the groundwork in bringing the project closer to the communities it aims to serve. It provided a platform where residents were introduced to the project, gained a deeper understanding of its goals, and learned how they can actively take part in shaping the future of their communities. During the assembly, community members also selected their Barangay Resilience Team (Brest), a group of community volunteers who will help lead the next activities in their respective barangays.

With the barangay assemblies now complete, all covered areas under the PCRP modality are currently undergoing Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR-CCA) activities, which help communities understand the hazards and risks in their area and how these can be addressed together. This will be followed by the Participatory Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (PRVA), where the BRest team will work with residents to identify and map out the specific risks facing their barangays. By Yvonne Gracious T. Elegado, Project Development Officer III