On Community-based Dialogues Project
CBD Cordillera Core Group holds Strengthening Activity cum Ceremonial Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Signing of the MOU
CHR CAR
The ceremonial signing of the MOU was held in the morning attended by key partners including the LGUs of Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet.
It was a blended learning activity (onsite and online), with more than 20 participants attending from civil society organizations, the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), LGUs and CHR representing the Cordillera region. Atty. Rommel Daguimol, Regional Director of CHR-CAR welcomed the participants and shared the objectives of the training activity which were to strengthen the capacity of the core group members in conducting the CBD and to enhance their working relationship towards better and collaborative efforts in the future.
The main topics covered were “Input and Workshop on Effective Facilitating Skills” and a “Writeshop to Develop/Design a CBD Framework for coordination, monitoring/evaluation, reporting & delivery strategies.” CHR-CAR presented an overview of the CBD project and highlights/accomplishments of past activities, including joint projects with HSF in support of sustaining the CBD. CSO participants also had the opportunity to share their organization’s thrusts, programs and services.
CHR CAR
The input, workshop and role play on the topic “effective facilitating skills” provided the participants knowledge and skills on how to facilitate a CBD to foster harmony in the community. It adopted the ADIDS (Activity, Discussion, Input, Deepening and Synthesis) approach/methodology. The important role of the facilitator in a dialogue, whether exploratory or focused, was emphasized as well as in clarifying the agenda/objectives and having a set of rules to manage/control the flow of discussion. It also pointed out the need to record the proceedings for follow-through action. It promoted broader understanding of actual experiences in a locality. Thereafter, the participants shared their observations on the process. There was a short input from the facilitator to review the principles/standards of effective facilitation, and difference between dialogue and debate. He mentioned that core group members should be well-prepared to undertake pre-, actual, and post-dialogue activities to ensure a productive interaction (e.g., ideal to know the area, participants, deliverables).
CHR CAR
The CBD framework was developed based on the context (social, economic, political, cultural, environment) and unique cultural practices (e.g., traditions) in the Cordillera region through plenary and small group discussion/writeshop. A working document was prepared by the facilitator beforehand to guide the activity. The definition, values, principles, structure, key strategies, expected outputs, outcomes and indicators (qualitative & quantitative) as well as the national CBD objectives which served as anchor of the Cordillera CBD framework, was discussed. It was a dynamic interaction among the participants, who, in most occasions, spoke in their local dialect (Ilocano) interspersed with English and Tagalog. The participants appreciated the conduct of the activity to further strengthen the core group.
An open forum ensued thereafter which included questions on the continuity plan for the CBD as convened by the CHR, referral mechanism (of issues/problems to LGUs aided by a policy paper to facilitate resolution), partnership-building (i.e., with LGUs/RPOC/RDC), membership, resource generation/funding (i.e., internal/external), future plans/activities, among others.
CHR CAR
The activity was capped by a group photo opportunity.