"Mapasalamaton ako labaw sa tanan sa mga volunteers kay kamo gayud ang mga hero" (I am very thankful especially to the community volunteers because you are the heroes), Lozada said.

"I am thankful that you were able to learn the process; and most importantly that you are empowered to know what your responsibilities are and what you can do for the barangay. A town will not progress if the barangays remain underdeveloped. Progress should start in the barangays," she said in vernacular, during the inauguration ceremonies of seven completed subprojects of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in the said municipality recently.

"I'm supposed to be the one who will give an inspirational message, but it was me who got inspired by the community volunteers," Lozada, who recently finished her term as mayor, said.

The town mayor also commended the barangay officials, who together with DSWD staff and the community volunteers, worked tirelessly to complete the seven COVID-related subprojects of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS).

KALAHI-CIDSS is one of the poverty alleviation programs of the government implemented by DSWD. It uses Community-Driven Development (CDD) as the over-all community development approach and strategy. The CDD approach ensures that development priorities are addressed in a participatory, collective, inclusive, and in demand-driven way.

The World Bank-funded subprojects were implemented through the KALAHI-CIDSS under the Disaster Response Operation Modality (DROM), which aims to answer needs of several LGUs in Caraga Region to contain and lessen the impact of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The following are the KALAHI-CIDSS subprojects inaugurated in Cagwait:

1. Improvement of Barangay Gymansium for Temporary Isolation Facility - Brgy. Poblacion
2. Provision of amenities and medical supplies for Temporary Isolation Facility - Brgy. Bituagan East
3. Improvement of BDRRMC Building for Temporary Isolation Facility - Brgy. Bituagan West
4. Improvement of Multi-Purpose Building for Temporary Isolation Facility - Brgy. Lactudan
5. Improvement of Barangay hall for Temporary Isolation Facility - Brgy. Tawagan
6. Improvementt of Community Training Center for Temporary Isolation Facility - Brgy. Unidad
7. Improvementt of Barangay Gymansium for Temporary Isolation Facility - Brgy. Aras-asan

"Usahay maka-ingon ako nga over-acting (OA) na kita. O.A. na kita sa atong pag-barricade ug pagsira sa atong barangay -- paningkamot nga dili makasulod ang COVID. Apan makasulod man gayud kay di man nato malikayan. Mao gani nga nahimo nga temporary isolation facility" (I thought that we were over-acting when we barricaded and locked down the barangays. However, we cannot avoid COVID. Thus, temporary isolation facilities were installed), Lozada said.

"Sa una, masuko kita kun mosulod mo sa atong quarantine area pero karun siguro,moboluntaryo tingali kay aircon man inyong isolation facility. Gwapo na man ang kahimtang nganha sa inyong mga barangay" (Before, we would be mad if we will be isolated inside the town’s quarantine area. But today, I think some residents will volunteer to be quarantined because of the air-conditioned isolation facility in your barangay), the mayor said in jest.

"Gikalipay nako nga nahuman na ang mga proyekto sa KALAHI. Mapasalamaton ako sa KALAHI ug sa DSWD nga dako gyud ang gikatabang nganhi sa ato" (I'm glad that the KALAHI subprojects have been completed. I'm thankful to KALAHI and the DSWD for their huge help), Lozada added.