Cagayan de Oro – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Northern Mindanao recently conducted KALAHI CIDSS-National Community Driven Development (KC-NCDDP) Governors and Mayor’s Forum for the additional 44 Municipalities that comprise the Provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and some additional Municipalities of Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte, held at Pryce Plaza Hotel.
The KC-NCDDP is a flagship anti-poverty program of the national government that empowers people through the community-driven development (CDD) approach. The project aims to empower local communities; reduce poverty by providing seed funds for community infrastructure, common service facilities, capability building and improve governance by providing stronger feeling of belonging and community ownership. The program is in support with World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
The objective of the forum is to discuss and present the comprehensive principles of KC-NCDDP and to officially facilitate the signing of Memorandum of Agreement with the new 44 Municipal Mayors.
In the program proper, DSWD X Regional Director Atty. Araceli F. Solamillo gave her welcome message with the emphasis on encouraging new Local Chief Executives to support the program by enabling Kalahi CIDSS Champion Municipalities in region 10 to showcase their best practices on Kalahi-CIDSS implementation.
To date, Hon. Governor Khalid Mohamad Q. Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte and Hon. Mayor Benjie Y. Baguio of Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte, both shared Kalahi CIDSS positive experiences in the ten year implementation since 2003, where Province Of Lanao del Norte was the pioneering pilot province of the region.
Other highlights of the activity were the presentation of data of the 2014 Kalahi CIDSS accomplishment report, highlighting 13 municipalities (11 in Lanao del Norte and 2 in Misamis Occidental) that had completed the Kalahi CIDSS implementation, and generated a total of 112 community projects with an accumulated project cost of P15 Million. From the Yolanda affected areas, a total of 92 community projects were identified and prioritized by the seven municipalities: Mahinog, Catarman, Sagay, Guinsiliban, Mambajao in Camiguin, Malitbog Bukidnon and Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, with a total cost of P101 Million and a counterpart of 4 Million pesos coming from the municipalities both cash and in-kind.
The forum ended with the signing of 44 Memorandum of Agreement spearheaded by DSWD X Regional Director Atty. Araceli F. Solamillo and the Municipal Mayors concerned.
Written by: Luis T. Arquiza, DSWD-X