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Camiguin Governor Xavier Jesus Romualdo expressed his fervent support for the enactment of the Community-Driven Development (CDD) Institutionalization Bill, says he will tap his father, Camiguin Congressman Jurdin Jesus Romualdo, to be one of its lead authors.

CDD is the strategy used by the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirpan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) of the DSWD in implementing poverty-alleviating projects in partnership with local government units. The program aims to make CDD a national strategy for implementing government programs, projects, and activities.

Romualdo said the program is helpful in providing “smaller but much-needed projects” in barangays.

“On the part of the provincial government and even the congressional district, there are certain limitations on what we can deliver, budget-wise, to our constituents, and it’s the KALAHI-CIDSS program that fills in the gap,” Romualdo said, adding that the local government has been able to provide better services to the public.

Currently, the KALAHI-CIDSS National Community-Drive Development Program Additional Financing Phase 1 implements P51.8 million worth of sub-projects across five municipalities, identifying solar street lights as the priority need in most barangays. The sub-projects are supported by LGU cash counterparts. KALAHI-CIDSS targets the completion and turnover by September.

From 2014-2018, Camiguin implemented KALAHI-CIDSS to respond to the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, assisting LGUs in their post-recovery efforts using the Disaster Response Operations Modality of the Program.

KALAHI-CIDSS found an ally in Romualdo as one of the local officials in region X who advocates the institutionalization of CDD.

“The province and all our municipalities, and particularly all our barangays will be in full support of the institutionalization of the program by law, and of course its implementation,” Romualdo said.