In a world where meetings often mean lukewarm coffee, long agendas, and even longer reactions on Facebook, Sibagat managed to pull off something different—something remarkable. The Trifolding Synergy Strategic Plan Validation and Alignment Workshop, held last November 12–13, 2025, became more than just another series of discussions. It became a moment that brought the community’s three pillars—Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the Business Sector, and the Local Government Unit (LGU)—into one room, one conversation, and one shared vision.

Guided by SEA IPAT SIAD Mindanao Municipal Coordinator Avha Hilario and the ever-dynamic Collective IPAT SIAD Team, the workshop transformed into a space where collaboration wasn’t just encouraged—it was lived and practiced. For two days, leaders and participants moved from conversation to reflection, and from reflection to co-creation, weaving together a collective roadmap for Sibagat’s development journey.

Where Voices Met, Priorities Aligned

If there was one thing the workshop proved, it’s that Sibagat’s sectors aren’t just stakeholders—they’re vision keepers. Across the sessions, participants found themselves nodding in agreement on four major pillars of progress:

1. Economic Empowerment: A Shared Ambition

Livelihood development emerged as a loud, proud, non-negotiable priority. From strengthening local enterprises to building a functional public market, from better trading spaces to entrepreneurship and financial literacy, everyone agreed:
Sibagat is ready to level up its local economy.

The business sector saw opportunities. CSOs saw empowerment. The LGU saw sustainability. Together, they saw a future where every community has the tools—and the market stalls—to thrive.

2. Human Development: Building People, Building Sibagat

The sectors also aligned on an investment more valuable than any infrastructure—human capital.
They championed leadership training, skills upgrading, values formation, and continuous education as key pathways to raising an empowered, confident, and capable citizenry.

Because if Sibagat is building a future, it wants its people ready to lead it.

Cultural Preservation: The Heartbeat of Sibagat

One of the most moving and unifying insights of the workshop was this:
Sibagat’s culture is not just history—it is identity, economy, and legacy.

The sectors reached a heartfelt consensus that cultural preservation must begin with the youth. They proposed:

• Integrating cultural education into elementary and senior high school curricula
• Providing learning opportunities for out-of-school youth to create local cultural products
• Ensuring that traditional crafts, Indigenous knowledge, and heritage are passed from heart to heart, hand to hand

This is Sibagat planting cultural pride not just for today, but for the generation that will lead tomorrow.

Environment & Governance: Foundations for a Sustainable Future

Nature, too, had its seat at the table. Participants affirmed commitments to:

• Promote eco-friendly practices
• Strengthen waste management awareness
• Support sustainable agriculture
• Protect forests, watersheds, and other natural resources

And because development without integrity is just noise, the sectors also highlighted good governance—transparency, sectoral representation, and participatory decision-making—as essential engines for all future plans.