Xavier University’s Southeast Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute (Searsolin) has started implementing its Leadership for Convergence Training Program (LCTP) in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 

LCTP is a six-month, five-module course on Bridging Leadership designed to equip DSWD’s frontliners with the necessary skills to reach their ultimate target of alleviating poverty one community at a time.

The graduates, who will be called Bridging Leadership fellows, will secure six units that can be credited toward a master’s degree at the XU Graduate School.

On April 29 and 30, nearly a hundred DSWD team leaders from various cities, municipalities and provinces in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) drew together at Searsolin to attend their Bridging Leadership classes, the first of 11 sessions which will also include a practicum in their respective work areas.

The Bridging Leadership framework is about ownership, co-ownership and co-creation of the DSWD community-based programs.

Dr Dixon Yasay, director of XU’s Governance and Leadership Institute (GLI) served as mentor to DSWD core of coaches who will ripple the lessons to their team members.

The opening plenary was facilitated by LCTP training coordinator Xyla Mercedita Gualberto and faculty-in-charge Luther Labitad.

The first session focused on “ownership” and the students were led to examine themselves as leaders and their ownership of the challenges and realities of poverty in the country.

The next sessions are set this month and will continue until September.

DSWD team leaders from Caraga Region will undergo the same training by the end of May.