Being identified as one of the best implementer of the KALAHI-CIDSS program throughout the country, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) rewarded the town of Bacolod by including the municipality as one of the beneficiaries of Makamasang Tugon.  The MOA signing ceremony attended by Lanao del Norte  Governor Khalid Dimaporo, DSWD-10 Regional Director Aracelli Solamillo and Mayor Joselito Miquiabas was held at the municipal covered court on September 27, 2010.

During the event, Gov. Dimaporo and Mayor Miquiabas also turned over their checks totaling to P2.4 million as their local cash counterpart in the poverty-reduction program.

“I am very happy with Bacolod. Your excellent performance in the barangays is now being heard nationwide,” Dimaporo expressed in his speech.

The Makamasang Tugon (MT) is a government project extended to selected municipalities. Its implementation by DSWD aims primarily to reduce poverty and empower the community through its Community Driven Development (CDD).

Only the towns of Bacolod and Salvador, both in Lanao del Norte, have qualified for the MKD program in the entire Region 10.