KALAHI-CIDSS projects help improve people's lives
Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Visayas Coordinator Irene Malong said they have a breakthrough in the projects they initiated in Western Visayas as it made changes in peoples lives especially in far-flung barangays.
The KALAHI-CIDSS project started in 2003. It is a national government's framework for a focused, accelerated, convergent and expanded strategy to reduce poverty. The program also aims to provide interventions on asset reforms, human development services, capability building and participation in governance.
Malong said they felt good when they "made a difference in people lives" as contained in the different testimonies of beneficiaries after the projects were turned over to them. The KALAHI-CIDSS projects have three primary concerns, to empower, improve local governance and poverty alleviation.
Malong, Visayas coordinator of the project, personally checks into the details and implementation of each project granted to every barangay. The program calls for local government unit counterpart.
She said in terms of empowerment, the associations or their beneficiaries have learned to maintain and operate the projects they granted. Some of their projects include construction of hanging bridge, classroom and hanging footbridge. As soon as the project is completed, the maintenance is being taken cared of by the recipients.
In the local governance, local government officials have acknowledged the "voice of the people" in terms of priority projects that each community must have to improve their lives. While, in the poverty alleviation aspect, Malong said the people could not yet feel the improvement when it comes to their income as result of the construction of infrastructure projects especially roads.
Malong said it will take a long time for the people to feel the improvement. However, they learned to appreciate the road projects as it fast-tracks the delivery of their products to the market. It likewise brought convenience to students who have to walk miles away in going to school.
The KALAHI-CIDDS project has three phases. Each phase has three cycles. Each cycle covers the period of one year. There are however, projects that left unimplemented because of several factors such as the lack of financial counterpart from the local government unit.