US-funded Kalahi-CIDSS empowers 1,232 poor communities in Eastern Visayas

PALO, Leyte, Feb. 23 (PNA) -– United States government-backed Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Service (Kalahi-CIDSS) has already benefiting 215,117 poor families in Eastern Visayas, three months before the expiration of the project grant, designed to curb poverty.

The US government through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Philippine government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have poured PHP1.40 billion to 1,232 poor villages in 40 towns of the region since 2011.

During the learning forum Monday night, DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman lauded villagers for their effort to complete subprojects despite logistical hurdles and poor accessibility from trading centers.

“I was touched by stories of people that they don’t just benefit from tangible projects, but they were also empowered through their involvement in planning, decision-making and implementation,” Soliman said.

The DSWD reported that among the completed projects are 72.24-kilometer farm-to-market roads, 95.57-kilometer pathwalks, 169 classrooms, 3,052-meter seawall, 71 day care centers, 51 village health centers, among others.

The project has mobilized 82,790 community volunteers with women comprising 62 percent of the total number of participants.

Narra Jean Pacomo, resident of Poblacion 1, San Sebastian, Samar, one of the Kalahi-CIDDS recipient communitiy, shared that despite his physical deformity, she was asked to take part in the construction of drainage canal and breakwater project.

“The structure helped us feel safer during rainy days and rough seas, but more important, our involvement to carry out these projects empowered us,” Pacomo shared.

Marivic Añonuevo, managing director and chief executive officer Millennium Challenge Account–Philippines (MCA-P), the MCC’s central point of contact for compact implementation, lauded local government units and community volunteers for the successful implementation of 1,160 subprojects in the region.

“The past five years proved to be a fulfilling journey for us in the MCA-P. We are proud to be part of community-driven development. Over the past five years, the implementation was achieved not without any challenges, notably by super typhoon Yolanda and typhoon Ruby.”

“We have proved, however, that no typhoon can shake the strong partnership that we have established as we’re able to rehabilitate or replace damaged projects quickly,” she added.

Kalahi-CIDSS is a community-driven development project implemented by the DSWD. Under the project, communities and their local government units are trained to choose, design and implement sub-projects that address their most pressing need.

The project has total budget of PHP6.34 billion with bulk of the funding requirement is a grant from the US government. The remaining are counterparts of the national government and local government units.

The USD120-million grant from the US government is part of the USD434 million compact program signed by two countries in 2010 designed to fight poverty.

Other components are the Secondary National Road Development Project and the Revenue Administration Reform Project. The compact project will expire on May 2016. (PNA)
FFC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO