22/09/2026
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After nearly 45 years in social work, Community Development Officer IV Elizabeth D. Ferraris of Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) received what she described as the best award of her career the Best in Social Worker award under the Bayani Ka Awards held in Negros Island Region
For Ferraris, the recognition is not simply a career milestone. It reflects decades of work in development, serving communities through various programs, organizations, and special projects since she graduated in 1978.
βIn my almost 45 years of service as a social worker, this is the best award I have ever received,β Ferraris said during her testimony in front of community volunteers in the National Bayani Ka Awards cm Tatak KALAHI Awards and launching of Performance Based Grant for Sustainability (PBGS) in Negros Island Region.
Her professional journey has taken her through years of development work with non-government organizations, special projects, and government programs, allowing her to work closely with communities and witness how development can change lives.
Among the chapters of her career that she considers most meaningful is her work with KALAHI-CIDSS, where she saw Community-Driven Development translated into action by communities themselves.
βBeing part of KALAHI-CIDSS has been one of the best experiences of my life. I became a social worker because I wanted to create change in the lives of others,β she said.
Through her years with the program, Ferraris said she witnessed that development goes beyond the construction of projects or delivery of services. It is also reflected in how communities participate, make decisions, take ownership, and build their capacity to address their own needs.
βAnd throughout my journey with KALAHI-CIDSS, I truly witnessed what real development means, not just in projects, but in the lives of the people we serve,β she said.
The Bayani Ka recognition, she added, carries a deeper meaning after decades of service.
βThis award is more than recognition. It is a reminder that every year of service, every community we have worked with, and every life we have touched is worth it.β
The award is not a culmination for Ferraris of her journey but a reflection of a career built around one enduring purpose: using social work to create meaningful change in the lives of others./dswd6/fcsa
