KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato| February 4, 2026— The Provincial Government of South Cotabato is strengthening its climate-resilience and community protection efforts as two of its highland municipalities, Tboli and Lake Sebu, are among the identified beneficiaries of the newly launched KALAHI-CIDSS PAGKILOS Project in Region 12.
The program marks a new direction for KALAHI-CIDSS, shifting its focus toward addressing climate change impacts in vulnerable and watershed-rich areas, particularly in the upland communities of South Cotabato.
DSWD Regional Director Loreto Jr. Cabayao said the new modality aims to ensure that development projects serve as protective mechanisms for both people and the environment.
“These projects are meant to help communities remain custodians of watersheds—protecting slopes while safeguarding ancestral domains,” Cabayao said, underscoring the relevance of the program to South Cotabato’s highland areas.
Under the PAGKILOS framework, provincial offices including the Office of the Provincial Environment and Management Officer Engineer (OPENRO) and the Office of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (OPDRRMO) will take the lead in identifying community-driven, climate-responsive projects in coordination with local stakeholders.
Cabayao emphasized that the approach ensures communities are not passive recipients but active partners in development.
“Behind every project is a person, a family, an ordinary citizen whose voice is heard,” he said.
National KALAHI-CIDSS Program Manager Atty. Bernadette Mapue-Joaquin highlighted the commitment of the Provincial Government of South Cotabato to provide counterpart funding for approved projects, either in cash or in kind, to promote ownership and accountability.
Priority interventions in South Cotabato include farm-to-market roads, rural health stations, flood control structures, and school facilities, particularly in areas exposed to climate risks.
Mapue-Joaquin explained that the PAGKILOS Project now centers on building resilient communities capable of responding to risks, hazards, and vulnerabilities.
Selection of recipient municipalities is guided by indicators such as poverty incidence, exposure to hazards, stunting rates, and the presence of Indigenous Peoples—all factors present in South Cotabato’s upland areas.
With the inclusion of Tboli and Lake Sebu, the province reinforces its commitment to people-centered, climate-responsive development, ensuring that growth in South Cotabato protects lives, livelihoods, and critical ecosystems.
