By Yvonne Gracious T. Elegado
BAGUIO CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD FO CAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-CAR) converged on 29 July 2026 to strengthen coordination between the two agencies in support of inclusive, resilient community development across the region.
DSWD-CAR’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Regional Program Management Office led the discussions with DENR-CAR, represented by Regional Executive Director Paquito T. Moreno Jr., Environmental Management Bureau-CAR Regional Director Jean C. Borromeo, and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-CAR.
During the meeting, DSWD FO CAR indicated that the KALAHI-CIDSS Panahon ng Pagkilos: Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP) is still in its early implementation stage, as the exact project sites and beneficiary communities have yet to be identified, pending municipalities’ review of the Municipal Resilience Plans (MRP), which are prepared through community-level profiling and planning activities under the program.
As a member of the program’s Regional Steering Committee (RSC), DENR-CAR agreed to designate representatives to a technical working group that will support coordination between the two agencies. DENR personnel will also take part in community-level activities early on, allowing DENR to guide communities on environmental considerations even before project sites are finalized.
Both agencies likewise discussed a two-stage framework for Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) clearances, covering approval for the program’s implementation within protected areas, followed by clearance for specific subproject sites once these are confirmed in September this year.
Both agencies reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that environmental stewardship supports community empowerment and the delivery of vital infrastructure across the region. By Yvonne Gracious T. Elegado, Project Development Officer III
