COTABATO CITY — An Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs) leader and four volunteer groups from Region 12 (Soccsksargen) have won recognition during the 4th National “Bayani Ka! Awards organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and was held in Cebu City.
Zorahayda Taha, DSWD-12 director, said on Monday that the region won five awards, one for individual category and four for group category during the October 2-4 event that gathered hundreds of social worker volunteers across the country.
Soccsksargen comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani, and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal, and General Santos.
Pintakasi Datu Wasay, a member of the IPs community in the coastal town of Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat province, was a recipient of the “Bayani Ka! Awards for Promotion of Just Peace Category.
Also awarded from Sultan Kudarat was the United Volunteers for Community Progress of Barangay Sampao, Isulan town that clinched the “Bayani Ka! Awards” for Sustained Group Category.
The Bayani Ka! Awards for Indigenous Peoples Welfare Category went to the Pinamulaan Tribal Association of Banisilan, North Cotabato.
The Tinumigues Persons with Disability Association of Barangay Tinumigues, Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat won the “Bayani Ka! Awards for Persons with Disability Category while the Bayani Ka! Awards for Elderly Category went to Barangay Poblacion 1 Senior Citizen Association of Lebak, Sultan Kudarat.
Taha said the awardees were recognized for their contribution in improving the lives of their sectors as well as their help in propagating government development programs in their respective communities.
The Cebu awards night was also attended by more than 600 volunteers of Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services o KALAHI-CIDSS of DSWD.
Patterned after the Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS) program, the KALAHI (or Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan meaning “linking hands in the fight against poverty”) provides the primary framework for fighting poverty in the Philippines. (/PNA)
