Kalahi-CIDSS Unleashes People Power

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) implemented a poverty alleviation program called Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan, Comprehensive Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS). The program’s community-driven development approach has made a great impact to the communities. The CDD approach made the sub-project implementation successful. It is also a venue for the capabilities and skills of every volunteer to be tested. Kalahi-CIDSS witnessed how community volunteers evolved and improved their lives, from being dependent to LGU to being independent and more active in recognizing and addressing the needs of its community.

Many community volunteers excel in their assigned tasked that is why when they were asked on how Kalahi-CIDSS touched and changed their lives, they would always smile and express their gratitude of what they have become. Some started as community volunteers and end up as employees of private and government offices, others are elected as Barangay officials.

As Analyn Ayensa, one of the volunteers in Danao, Bohol says “Kalahi-CIDSS taught us things we never knew were capable of doing.” Before, I only focused on household chores, but now, as a Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee (BSPMC) Chair, I can manage and handle infra projects. These skills I gained because of Kalahi-CIDSS, were not taught in school. The Kalahi-CIDSS has lived up to its objectives and has given hope to the volunteers.”
Focus group discussions (FGD’s) were made in different events like the program Closure consultation visit last September and the Millennium Challenge Account – Philippines (MCAP) oversight mission last October, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and MCA-P Directors were overwhelmed by the positive feedback they received from the volunteers.

The Oversight Mission team visited the Lying-in clinic in Masaplod Sur, Dauin, Negros Oriental which is the Sub-Project for the Gender Incentive Grant and the rehabilitation of the Multi-purpose building cum Rain Water Harvester with ground catchment in Apo Island. The volunteers in the island did not lose hope and still continue to work on the rehabilitation of the Multi-purpose building cum Rain Water Harvester with ground catchment which was damaged during the Earthquake on February 2012.

The Footbridge in Baslay, Dauin is also a great example of the community’s drive to work together and apply the bayanihan just to finish the project.

As Manang Melecia Abellon, 86 years old resident of Baslay, would say, “ dako kaayu ug natabang and tulay, kay sauna lisod kayo ang paglabang namo, karon sayun na ug dili na me maglisod sa pagdala sa among baligyaon sa merkado. (The footbridge is a great help to us, before it was really difficult for us to cross the river, but now, we can easily bring our crops to the market to sell it fresh).

Kalahi-CIDSS areas are composed of the poor communities in every Municipality and it aims to empower communities by treating them as partners in the development, improve local governance by giving access to the LGUs and by being participative in the decision making and reducing poverty by implementing projects that address the community’s needs. That is why, the Sub-Projects in the province of Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental were made and decided by the community and they made sure that these proposed sub-projects could solve the community’s problems.
Kalahi-CIDSS has been in the Central Visayas (Region VII) since 2003. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) granted a total of Php 641,237,493.50 Million for the implementation of 716 projects in 3 provinces such as Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental.

Bohol and Siquijor started in 2011 under Makamasang Tugon Modality and received funding from MCC while Negros Oriental started a year after under the New Random Modality.

When a huge earthquake hit the province of Bohol in 2014, additional funding was provided by MCC for the rehabilitation of the sub-projects.

As of now, Kalahi-CIDSS MCC has only one (1) on-going sub-project in Negros Oriental, this project is located in Barangay Bagtic, Mabinay which is a road project that started on November 7, 2014. The sub-project implementation was affected by the bad weather conditions, issues on the delivery of materials and contractor problems.
In 2015, The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) released more funds (additional funds and the gender incentive grant) for the implementation of additional sub-projects. The additional funds and sub-projects are expected to be done by the first quarter of 2016.