Cagayan de Oro – In the pursuit of addressing problems of poverty in the country, the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, a Community-Driven Development Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, has taken steps in fronting poverty at the Urban jungle with the implementation of the Kalahi-CIDSS Urban Project; The Pilot project implemented in four (4) key highly urbanized cities in the country.
It is fortunate enough Cagayan de Oro was among the first to implement the said project; a good venue to address the impending needs of poor and marginalized communities I the city. The Kalahi-CIDSS has been implemented in the region for 10 years now, but this is the first time that the program is implemented in an Urban setting; a challenge the Regional Project Management Office gallantly accepted.
Packets of poor communities in the city (communities with at least 300 poor families) was been validated in the area, results of which were submitted to the National Project Management Office (NPMO) for finality of areas to be covered. Barangay Lapasan and Barangay Puntod were fortunate enough to have qualified and be recipients of the said pilot implementation.
Since it was a Pilot Implementation, several modifications were done to the Community Empowerment Activity Cycle (activities composing the project implementation), to fit the requirements of Community-Driven Development strategy. But with all the modifications, principles of the Kalahi-CIDSS Program were ensured to empower poor communities. It was still the communities who were consulted on what sub-project would address their most pressing needs, and the principle of inclusivity is still followed; everyone in the community is consulted on the decision making for the project.
Both Barangays ended up proposing Livelihood Projects – a result of their participatory decision making. Several skills trainings and enterprise development were implemented and funded through the project. 118 individuals availed of the several trainings and livelihood grants from Barangay Lapasan, and 103 from Barangay Puntod.
A multi-stakeholder approach was utilized to ensure sustainability of the project. Barangay Local Government Units shouldered Local Cash Counterparts to accommodate expenditures for the project, while partner National Agencies, such as Department of Labor and Employment and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) aided in the trainings and job placement of beneficiaries.
Several service providers, including the Academe (Capitol University) were tapped to provide different vocational skills training, such as Pharmacy Servicing, Motor Repair, Shielded Metal Arc Building, Enterprise Development, House Keeping, Janitorial Services and Community Based Livelihood, Dress Making and Rug Making.
National Competency 2 exams were also provided by TESDA to ensure competency of trainees in the different Vocational Technical Trainings, while partnership with DOLE will ensure placement of beneficiaries for job opportunities here and abroad.
Through the Kalahi-CIDSS Urban Project, families in these communities are now ready to address insufficiencies in their daily lives brought about by poverty with the opportunities of livelihood and employment available through the project. In no time, poverty alleviation will be within reached not only in rural communities, but also in urban communities.
Written by Marko Davey D. Reyes, DSWD