US agency visits Kalahi-CIDSS projs

MABINAY, NEGROS ORIENTAL, Philippines — Executive Director Andy Moll, of the Millenium Challenge Account-Philippines (MCA-P), recently visited and inspected the community-driven projects of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan and Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) in this town.

The MCA-P is an office that handles the funds of the Millenium Challenge Corporation, a funding agency created by the United States Congress, while Kalahi-CIDSS is a development technology that harnesses people in the barangays to analyze their own situations, identify problems and issues in their communities and propose small-scale projects for funding.

Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the government's poverty reduction programs implemented by the DSWD, which has been internationally recognized as an effective strategy of reducing poverty.

During the assessment meeting with Mabinay Mayor Ernie Uy and his staff, Moll said he noticed that the support of the local government unit were stronger than in areas of other regions he had visited earlier.

"It is essential that the DSWD and the LGU, especially the beneficiary communities, work together closely as partners of the development process for the poverty reduction program to work. The LGU of Mabinay is a great model to that," Moll said.

One of the project sites Moll and his team visited was Brgy. Samac's community project, Water System Level II, which cost more than P6.82 million. It was the highest costing water system project out of nine similar projects carried out in the province, and was projected to benefit at least 450 households in the barangay.

Currently, scattered in different towns in Negros Oriental are 56 sub-projects such as farm-to-market roads, water systems, schoolbuildings, foot-bridges, day care centers, barangay health stations, drainage and flood controls and even a rain-water harvester in Apo Island, Dauin town.  (FREEMAN)