Senator Marcos leads distribution of aid in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — More than ?15 million cash assistance was distributed yesterday to fire victims, habal-habal drivers, and solo parents in different parts of Cebu under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Senator Imee Marcos led the distribution starting off at the University of San Carlos Gym with more than ?,000 farmers, habal-habal drivers, and solo parents who received ?3,000 each.

After which, Marcos proceeded to Moalboal town for another set of distribution to 1,000 beneficiaries, then went back to Cebu City where she led the distribution of financial aid to 305 families who lost their homes to a fire in the Brgy Sambag 2. Each family received ?10,000 each.

Meanwhile, at the national summit of DSWD-Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), Marcos said they are looking at ways in which the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach will be institutionalized.

Such institutionalization, she said, will formalize the manner in which KALAHI-CIDSS projects are implemented and will provide legal cover and recognition on the effectiveness of this approach.

“So may I call on you today to launch a new KALAHI-CIDDS 2.0 so that indeed we work with urgency and speed to make certain that the most remote and the highest vulnerability communities should finally get the help they deserve. That they should not be buried in helplessness and hopelessness but rather with the red vest, we bring hope,” Marcos said in her speech.

KALAHI-CIDSS is one of the poverty alleviation programs of the Philippine government implemented by DSWD.

Further, the summit highlights the significance of the CDD approach in the impacts of the implementation of the KALAHI-CIDSS in its communities.

It uses the CDD approach, a globally recognized strategy for achieving service delivery, poverty reduction, and good governance outcomes.

“Ngayon ang community-based development eh hindi na lang kwento, may-kwenta na! At in fairness, balita ko, maganda ang kwentahan dito dahil nakikita ng buong komunidad kung saan napupunta hanggang huling sentimo ng programa,” said Marcos in her speech.

The objective of KALAHI-CIDSS is to have the barangays or communities of targeted municipalities become empowered to achieve improved access to services and to participate in a more inclusive planning, budgeting, and implementation in the local setting.

Marcos said that in 2003, it was recognized as one of the Top 5 best practices in project design among 200 selected projects worldwide by the World Bank.

Considering its success, the government has made the KALAHI-CIDSS a national model for development project planning and implementation with a focus on inclusive development and poverty alleviation last 2014.

The five-day summit by the National Program Management Office (NPMO) aims to intensify its efforts to capacitate all staff and intensify the promotion of CDD approach that envisions preparing and submitting a Regional and Municipal Action Plan to ensure timely, effective, and efficient closing activities integrating the lessons learned from all the sessions, sharings, and culmination activities of the Summit.

The event was attended by more or less 1,200 attendees from KALAHI-CIDSS national and regional offices

Marcos added that as chairman of the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development, she has seen the officials, employees, and co-civil servants of the DSWD work tirelessly to give Filipinos, especially those vulnerable, the proper service and help they need.

As it celebrates its more than two-decade implementation, DSWD-KALAHI-CIDSS gears up for the Tindig: 2024 National Summit with a theme “Standing up for KALAHI-CIDSS and Championing our Communities”.

The event honors the program’s legacy and the dedicated individuals who helped in its progress. — (FREEMAN)