As the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) spotlights the 21st anniversary of the Kapitbisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), a senior agency official has reiterated the need to institutionalize the program and its community-driven development (CDD) approach to address poverty.

KALAHI-CIDSS National Program Manager (NPM) Director Bernadette Mapue-Joaquin emphasized this during the DSWD Thursday Media Forum at the Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City on October 10.

“Marami na tayong nagawa, pero marami pa rin po talaga ang nangangailangan… kaya parte po ng advocacy ng KALAHI-CIDSS ay yung sustainability at institutionalization. Ito yung mga bill, mga measures na nilalaban po natin ngayon,”Director Mapue-Joaquin told reporters.

Apart from seeking the support of lawmakers, Director Mapue-Joaquin also said the KALAHI CIDSS requires help from local government units (LGUs) to expand the reach of community-driven projects and initiatives.

“Sa level po ng mga LGUs, meron din silang mga ordinances na ini-issue na nag-iimplement sila ng project adapting the CDD approach. Meaning, kapag may pondo sila, saan man galing yon, CDD pa rin yung proseso. Binabalik sa community, sila yung ina-identify, sila yung ini-implement through the training, either ng DSWD or our LGU counterpart,” Director Mapue-Joaquin explained.

Earlier in the year, Director Mapue-Joaquin made the same appeal to the media, as she pointed out that there are three pending bills that push for the institutionalization of the CDD approach.

These three versions of the CDD bill include the first one filed during the 18th Congress in September 2019, and the other two that were refiled in the 19th Congress in 2022 and 2023.

According to the KALAHI-CIDSS program director, the approval of the proposed measures will be pivotal in involving community participation in mobilizing poverty-reduction projects.

“We can empower more people po talaga dahil through the CDD approach, binibigyan po ng kalayaan ang ating komunidad na sila mismo ang bahagi ng proseso ng development sa kanilang lugar,” Director Mapue-Joaquin explained.

“Sa kanila, sila ang may control sa decision -making ano yung proyekto na kailangan, ano yung pangangailangan sa kanilang lugar at paano ito matutugunan,” the DSWD official added.

The KALAHI-CIDSS is one of the poverty alleviation programs of the DSWD that engages communities to identify, design, and implement development projects to address their most pressing needs.

The program also helps communities in poor municipalities identify challenges in reducing poverty and make informed decisions on a range of locally identified options for development.

Through the KALAHI-CIDSS, the DSWD has provided basic social services to more than 23 million poor, vulnerable, marginalized, and geographically isolated households, through 87,987 subprojects.

These projects include access roads, improved water, electrification and lightning systems, medical supplies, tools and equipment, barangay health stations, and child development centers.

Tagalog Version

Batas para palakasin ang KALAHI-CIDSS, community-driven dev’t, isinusulong ng DSWD

Patuloy na isinusulong ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) ang pagsasabatas ng Kapitbisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), upang mas marami pang komunidad ang mabigyan ng tulong.

Ito ang mariing pahayag ni KALAHI-CIDSS National Program Manager (NPM) Director Bernadette Mapue-Joaquin sa ginanap na DSWD Media Forum nitong Huwebes (October 10) sa Sequoia Hotel, Quezon City.

“Marami na tayong nagawa, pero marami pa rin po talaga ang nangangailangan… kaya parte po ng advocacy ng KALAHI-CIDSS ay yung sustainability at institutionalization. Ito yung mga bill, mga measures na nilalaban po natin ngayon,”sabi ni Director Mapue-Joaquin.

Bukod naman sa suporta mula sa mga mambabatas, humihingi din ng tulong suporta si Director Mapue-Joaquin sa mga local government units (LGUs) na palakasin pa ang mga inisyatibo nito para sa mga community-driven projects.

“Sa level po ng mga LGUs, meron din silang mga ordinances na ini-issue na nag-iimplement sila ng project adapting the CDD approach. Meaning, kapag may pondo sila, saan man galing yon, CDD pa rin yung proseso. Binabalik sa community, sila yung ina-identify, sila yung ini-implement through the training, either ng DSWD or our LGU counterpart,” dagdag pa ni Director Mapue-Joaquin.

Nauna ng inihayag kamakailan ni Director Mapue-Joaquin na mayroong mga pending bills sa Kongreso na nagsusulong para sa institutionalization o pagsasabatas ng Community Driven Development (CDD) approach.

Kabilang sa tatlong bersyon ng CDD bill ay na-file noong 18th Congress, September 2019, habang ang dalawang iba pa ay naka-file naman noong 19th Congress o 2022 at 2023.

“We can empower more people po talaga dahil through the CDD approach, binibigyan po ng kalayaan ang ating komunidad na sila mismo ang bahagi ng proseso ng development sa kanilang lugar,” paliwanag pa ni Director Mapue-Joaquin.

Dagdag pa ng opisyal, “Sa kanila, sila ang may control sa decision -making ano yung proyekto na kailangan, ano yung pangangailangan sa kanilang lugar at paano ito matutugunan.”

Ang KALAHI-CIDSS ay isa sa mga poverty alleviation program ng DSWD na umaalalay sa mga pangangailangan ng isang komunidad para sa implementasyon ng mga development projects nito.

Inaasistehan din ng programang ito ang mga komunidad upang mabawasan ang kahirapan sa pamamagitan ng pagtukoy sa mga proyektong kanilang kailangan.

Ang KALAHI-CIDSS program ay nakapagbigay serbisyo na sa mahigit 23 million poor, vulnerable, marginalized, at geographically isolated households, sa pamamagitan ng 87,987 subprojects.

Kabilang sa mga proyektong ito ang access roads, improved water, electrification and lightning systems, medical supplies, tools and equipment, barangay health stations, at child development centers.#