Women-volunteers from 46 barangays of Lemery, Batangas Province completed the implementation of the Gender and Development (GAD) Resource Center sub-project under the government’s Bottom-up Budgeting (BUB) program employing the community-driven development strategy of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).

The BUB is a project of the national government that aims to empower citizens to articulate their needs to the government and engage in the local development process. The DSWD, one of the national government agencies implementing the said project, uses the Kalahi-CIDSS’ CDD strategy in building BUB infrastructure projects. This involves volunteers in the identification of their project, preparation of the proposal, procurement of materials and infrastructure construction.

The inauguration ceremony for the said center was held last July 15, 2015 wherein the DSWD through its Field Office IV-A gave recognition to the women volunteers for their efforts in building the project.

 “Ipinakita ninyo na kayang-kayang lumahok ng mga kababaihan sa mga gawaing pangkaunlaran sa inyong lugar. Nawa’y ang GAD center na ito ay magsilbing lugar upang patuloy pang mapalakas ang kakayahan ng mga kababaihan sa Lemery,” DSWD IV-A Regional Director Leticia T. Diokno said in her message to the volunteers.

The 131 square meters GAD Resource Center, with a total project cost of PhP2.65 Million, has two comfort rooms, a kitchen area, and is furnished with tables and chairs. It will be used as a skills training facility and a permanent meeting place of women organizations in the municipality.

Celia Umali, the head of volunteers and also a beneficiary of DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), shared that they would also use the facility for the seminar and skills training activities of the said program.

A total of 119 SLP beneficiaries in Lemery are being trained this 2015 on hand wash and detergent soap making and will be given a seed capital of PhP10,000.00 each to start up their own livelihood businesses.

“Dati po ay kung saan-saan lang kami nagmi-meeting at gumagawa ng mga livelihood projects namin. Ngayon, may maayos na kaming lugar at kaya na ring magpatawag ng pangkalahatang meeting dahil kasya na kaming lahat dito sa center,” shared Umali.

This GAD Resource Center is one of the 128 sub-projects across CALABARZON region that are targeted to be completed this year under the Kalahi-CIDSS BUB modality.#