TACLOBAN CITY- Eastern Visayas will have the largest coverage of areas for its expanded implementation of an anti-poverty program. The program, known as the Kalahi-CIDSS-NCDDP (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services-National Community-Driven Development Program) will be implemented in 136 municipalities across the region.
Considered as one of the three core poverty alleviation programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development(DSWD), together with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Sustainable Livelihood Program, NCDDP widens its authority to help by using the community – driven development strategy or approach which was used and substantiated during the implementation of the Kalahi-CIDSS for the past 11 years. This strategy offer trainings to people so they can expand their knowledge and skills which can help them how to accomplish resources and implement projects that will distinguish needs identified by the community themselves.
The Kalahi-CIDSS-NCDDP has an allocation of more than P43.9 billion. Its funding was source from the World Bank and Asian Development Fund with a counterpart from the national government. It was learned that areas hit by supertyphoon Yolanda, like in Eastern Visayas, will be given priority under the program. Of the 847 municipalities identified under the program,554 of them were devastated by Yolanda and of which 136 are in Eastern Visayas, the hard-hit area. Using the community-driven approach, KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP will empower poor communities to organize themselves, analyze their own situation, prepare project proposals to address their common problems, and compete for block grants to finance their own projects. Projects that may be implemented under the program may include water systems, school buildings, day care centers, health stations and roads and bridges. (REYNALYN BRUSES, LNU Intern)
