CDPC celebrates 30 years of advancing development for Cordillerans

March 3, 2018 Community Billboard

The Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC) celebrated its Pearl (30th) anniversary last February 22, 2018 at the Citylight Hotel, Baguio City with the theme “A Retrospect in Sinewing Action towards a Brighter Future”.
CDPC shared its lessons learned, gains and challenges for the past 30 years as a way to further strengthen synergy with various development actors and rights defenders towards achieving a common aspiration for the common good for the marginalised communities of the Cordillera region.
The CDPC was formally launched as a consortium of 12 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 1987, inspired with a common development agenda aimed at attaining strong people’s welfare and development services towards self-reliance and sustainable development of the Cordillera people, especially to the poor.
For the past 30 years, CDPC contributed to the following development programs and projects: educational resources and database; organizing of farmers and capability building of various community organizations; advocacy and alliance with local government officials and agencies and other development groups/NGOs for socio-economic and welfare assistance to the Cordillera communities; and assistance to socio-economic needs and livelihood project initiatives of various people’s organizations. These include irrigation systems, potable water systems, production and blacksmith tools, seeds, animals, consumer’s cooperative, palay & rice cooperatives, vegetables and herbal gardens, post-harvest needs like rice and corn mill, sugarcane crusher, processing machine for squash noodles, drying pavement, and people’s welfare projects like village pharmacy, footbridge, multi-purpose micro-hydropower, disaster relief and rehabilitation services, and shelters.
A photogallery of the different projects of CDPC in infrastructure, post-harvest facilities, sustainable agriculture, and trainings was set up at Citylight Hotel for the 30th anniversary.
Testimonies of community representatives from Abra, Kalinga, Quirino, Ilocos Sur, Ifugao, and Mountain Province expressed how their development cooperation with CDPC helped improve their socio-economic conditions, through capacity building activities and specific projects. These representatives also richly narrated specific development issues they encountered and how CDPC helped in addressing these issues, such as access to clean and potable water and increasing food sufficiency.
A video was presented documenting how CDPC started and how it put into action its vision and mission. It portrayed a journey of experiencing and learning the culture and development situation of the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera in order to understand their plight and aspirations for the future.
The anniversary also celebrated the partnership and solidarity between the CDPC network and the Belgian people through the Province of East Flanders (PEF) and SOLIDAGRO.  PR / ABN