Ormoc City, Leyte –The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launches today in this city its Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services – National Community-Driven Development Program (KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP).

The event, which is entitled, “CDD: Mga Kasaysayan ng Pagbangon sa Kalamidad at Kahirapan ”, will serve as a learning forum for participants to find out more about community-driven development (CDD) and the partnership between the national government and the civil society organizations in response to the impact of Typhoon Yolanda.

Aside from DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, expected to attend the launching are Department of Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Gil de los Reyes, and Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, who will serve as the keynote speaker. Some mayors of target covered municipalities are also anticipated to participate in the event.

Highlights of the event are exhibits on the impact of CDD in communities, a photo exhibit on the story of KALAHI CIDSS, and talks on using community-driven development as a strategy for poverty alleviation and post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation.

Identified as one of the programs to respond to the impact of ‘Yolanda’, 554 of the target 847 municipalities of KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP are affected by the typhoon.

Sec. Soliman said, “We recognize that those who have been affected by ‘Yolanda’ have urgent needs that should be addressed immediately, which is why we redesigned KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP as a way to address these concerns.”

KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP has P49.3 Billion project cost. Of this amount, US$479 million is from a World Bank loan and US$372.1 million comes from the ADB Emergency Assistance  Loan.

KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP is the scale up of KALAHI-CIDSS, which started in 2003 as the flagship poverty alleviation program of the DSWD.

As a CDD program, KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP builds up on KALAHI CIDSS’ thrust to empower communities and empower local governance to support poverty reduction efforts of the Philippine government.

KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP will be implemented from 2014 to 2019.###