The Department of the Interior and Local Government РNational Capital Region (DILG-NCR) sealed its partnership with Gawad Kalinga Foundation, Inc. through a ceremonial signing of the Contract of Service for the Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) Program of Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) Projects held on October 28, 2025, at Sequoia Hotel Manila Bay, City of Para̱aque.

The momentous event was led by the DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin, CESO III, together with the Assistant Regional Director Atty. Ana Lyn R. Baltazar-Cortez, Acting Division Chief of Local Government Capability Development Division (LGCDD) Luigi D.C. Pilarta, Project Development and Management Unit Chief Dennis R. de Paz, and PDMU personnel. Gawad Kalinga Community Foundation, Inc., Executive Director Daniel Bercasio and Area Team Leader Mark Gomez were present, signifying their organization’s full partnership commitment. 

Anchored on DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2024-134, the TPM program engages accredited Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as independent monitors to assess the quality, implementation, and outcomes of LGSF-funded projects. Utilizing standardized tools, the program ensures consistency, accuracy, and reliability of reports across local government units (LGUs), producing objective, evidence-based findings that reflect actual conditions on the ground.

The transformative vision and mission of the Department and Gawad Kalinga are shared to promote inclusive and transparent local development. As a nationally accredited CSO recognized for its longstanding work in community building and grassroots empowerment, Gawad Kalinga brings extensive experience in community-based infrastructure monitoring, including its role as a Third-Party Monitor in various regions and as one of the CSO members of the Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) in the National Capital Region.

Through this Service Agreement, DILG-NCR and Gawad Kalinga affirmed their united commitment to uphold good governance, citizen participation, and public accountability. This collaborative effort reinforces the Department’s pursuit of development initiatives that are responsive to the needs of communities across the region, while ensuring that public resources are managed efficiently, transparently, and with the welfare of the people at the forefront.