The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) program, on Wednesday entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the University of the Philippines College of Social Work and Community Development (UP-CSWCD) to strengthen collaboration in community-driven development and social work education.
The partnership, which was signed at the Office of the Chancellor of the University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City, seeks to align academic learning with actual community development work by integrating KALAHI-CIDSS modalities as learning engagement platforms for UP-CSWCD students in the Field Instruction Program.
Undersecretary for Operations Monina Josefina Romualdez represented the DSWD during the ceremonial MOA signing.
Under the agreement, social work and community development students will participate in community immersion, practicum, and selected research activities in identified KALAHI-CIDSS municipalities, allowing them to gain firsthand experience in grassroots development initiatives.
“Through the KALAHI-CIDSS, the DSWD continues to advance community-driven development—empowering communities to take the lead in identifying their needs and shaping their own development pathways. At the same time, UP-CSWCD continues to produce outstanding future social workers and development practitioners, equipping them not only with knowledge but also with the values and lived experiences needed to serve the poor and the marginalized with competence and compassion. This Memorandum of Agreement bridges these two strengths,” Romualdez said in her message.
The DSWD official emphasized that the partnership will provide students with wider exposure to government-led community-based social development initiatives and deeper knowledge of the KALAHI-CIDSS program.
“It creates a space where learning goes beyond the classroom, where students engage directly with communities through field experiences, and where our programs benefit from academic insight, research, and fresh perspectives from the academe,” she said.
Student interns participating in field activities will receive cash-for-work from the DSWD’s KALAHI-CIDSS program to help support their educational expenses while contributing to program implementation.
“As we move forward with the Panahon ng Pagkilos: Philippine Community Resilience Project, the successor initiative to the KALAHI-CIDSS, this collaboration becomes even more crucial. It strengthens how we engage communities, enhances how we design and implement interventions, and ensures that our work remains responsive, inclusive, and sustainable. More importantly, this partnership reflects a shared belief that development is most meaningful when it is participatory, when it empowers people, and when it bridges knowledge and action,” Romualdez said.
A Technical Working Group will be established to oversee coordination between the DSWD and UP-CSWCD, including annual planning, development of guidelines, identification of field instruction areas and continuous program review.
The partnership forms part of the DSWD’s continuing efforts to strengthen participatory governance, community empowerment, and capacity-building initiatives in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure inclusive, responsive, and sustainable development programs for Filipino communities. (PNA)
