ILOILO – This province has carved its name in history as the country’s first local government unit (LGU) to formally institutionalize a Community-Driven Development (CDD) Day, underscoring its pioneering role in promoting grassroots participation and people-powered governance.
The milestone was highlighted during the inaugural CDD Day celebration on September 17 at the provincial capitol grounds, an event attended by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary Rex Gatchalian, who hailed Iloilo as a “shining beacon” of community-driven governance.
The annual observance is anchored on Provincial Ordinance No. 2025-336 authored by then-board member and now Bingawan mayor Matt Palabrica, officially declaring every third Wednesday of September as CDD Day. It builds on Iloilo’s earlier designation as a Predominantly CDD Province through Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 2012-377.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to a convergence approach through his “MoRProGRes Iloilo” framework, which integrates national and provincial programs with community-driven projects.
“We are doing things here in convergence. We have a whole-of-province approach, but we are also community-driven. We are ready to partner with all your programs and projects as we have been doing before. We are prepared to provide practical support for your KALAHI program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), and other initiatives that we can integrate within Iloilo,” Defensor said.
Gatchalian praised Iloilo for going beyond rhetoric by legislating CDD into policy, a feat that even Congress has yet to achieve.
“When I found out that Iloilo has a provincial resolution or ordinance enshrining community-driven development, I realized that you are the first LGU to establish such a foundation. Iloilo can serve as a shining beacon and an exemplary model of a local government unit that leads the way in community-driven development,” he said.
The DSWD chief also noted the significance of Iloilo’s Provincial Convergence Committee, led by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), in ensuring effective implementation of programs for marginalized and vulnerable populations.
“Iloilo may very well be the first, if not the only local government unit, to have a convergence committee dedicated to guaranteeing that government services are delivered in the most effective and efficient manner,” he added./PN
