Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury for International Markets and Development, Marisa Lago, recently visited Barangay Ligtong III in Rosario, Cavite to interact with the beneficiaries and observe the implementation of the two major programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

These programs are the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid).

Kalahi-CIDSS uses the community-driven development strategy, an approach that seeks to combat poverty and improve local governance by strengthening the capacity of citizens to identify and implement local solutions to poverty issues. The program’s implementation in Barangay Ligtong III is realized through a grant from the Japan Social Development Fund-Livelihood Opportunities for Vulnerable Urban Communities (JSDF-LVUC) to improve employment and livelihood opportunities for urban poor communities through community grants for labor-intensive, small-scale development projects, and community enterprises.

The Pantawid Pamilya, on the other hand, is the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program of the DSWD. It provides education and health cash grants of as much as P1,400 to families with three qualified children provided they comply to the different conditions of the program.

Accompanying Assistant Secretary Lago were Ben Cushman, the US Department of the Treasury Financial Attaché for Southeast Asia, and Robert Orr, the US Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Also, parts of the visiting contingent were Yukiko Ito, Halliday Hart, Leah Gutierrez, and Joel Mangahas of the ADB.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabrera, Kalahi-CIDSS Director Chi Redaja, Region IV-A Regional Director Leticia Diokno, Region IV-A Assistant Regional Floreceli Gunio accompanied the delegation.

The delegates participated in a focus group discussion with the Kalahi-CIDSS volunteers, who talked about their experience on the program. Maria Lourdes San Buenaventura, shared, “Dito po namin naranasan ang community-driven na project. Dito po namin naranasan na maging kabahagi talaga ng barangay. Naging bahagi po kami sa solusyon sa problema ng barangay. .”

Annaliza Asma, another Kalahi-CIDSS volunteer and one of the Pantawid Pamilya Parent Leaders in Barangay Ligtong III, shared, “Nakatulong po ang Kalahi-CIDSS sa kanila kasi marami po sa kanila ang walang pinagkakakitaan. Nagkaroon na po sila nang pinagkakakitaan para po sa kanilang pamilya.

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Assistant Secretary Marisa Lago was impressed with the stories shared by the community volunteers. As she said, “I’m just so struck by your leadership, and it is leadership from within the community that makes projects successful.”

Ambassador Orr was also impressed by the residents of Barangay Ligtong III.  “It’s inspiring to see leaders like you give your time at the local level. It’s the local level that makes the national leadership, and you demonstrated that today.”

For his part, Rosario Mayor Jose “Nonong” Ricafrente extended his gratitude to the US Department of the Treasury and ADB for visiting his municipality. “We are lucky we were chosen as the beneficiaries of the Kalahi-CIDSS project and the conditional cash transfer program.Without these programs, I don’t know how we could have coped with these calamities,” Mayor Ricafrente added.

The delegation also observed an ongoing Pantawid Pamilya Family Development Session (FDS) where parent-beneficiaries of the program are taught principles and practices on responsible parenthood. The delegation also visited a day care center and a health center in Barangay Ligtong III, both of which are used by the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries.

Convergence in Barangay Ligtong III

DSWD Assistant Secretary Cabrera said, “This visit gives us the chance to show how convergence works. It’s not only convergence within DSWD, but also with the LGUs. It says a lot if we converge our projects because it shows shared responsibility, together with the communities.”

KALAHI-CIDSS funded the dredging and desilting of 560 linear meters of Malimango creek and the construction of a line canal in Ligtong III.  Likewise, the program provided interested residents with training on dressmaking, shield metal arc welding, and buri bag making. Forty of the trained beneficiaries are now employed at the Cavite Export Processing Zone (EPZA). The other trainees are being linked with the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), another poverty alleviation program of the DSWD.

On the other hand, Pantawid Pamilya, covers 2,658 households in the municipality of Rosario, Cavite of whom 373 household-beneficiaries are from Ligtong III.

Originally designed to operate in rural poor communities, Kalahi-CIDSS recently started piloting CDD implementation in urban poor communities. Ligtong III in Rosario, Cavite is one of its first pilot urban CDD sites, along with three communities in Malate, Manila. ###