By Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY, May 02, (PIA) - - After a little over
two years of immersing in the community-driven Kapit-Bisig Laban sa
Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS)
project, Leon Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte municipal mayor Rolando Tablezo says
that what is more important than the infrastructures realized by poor community
volunteers is the knowledge they earned and learning the value of participation
in the development endeavor of the local government.
“I have realized that the infrastructures they implemented are only second to the knowledge that they have learned through Kalahi – that their participation is essential if we are to solve our town’s problems,” said mayor Tablezo during a Kalahi-CIDSS municipal assessment held last April 26.
“I have realized that the infrastructures they implemented are only second to the knowledge that they have learned through Kalahi – that their participation is essential if we are to solve our town’s problems,” said mayor Tablezo during a Kalahi-CIDSS municipal assessment held last April 26.
After the first year in
Kalahi-CIDSS, Leon Postigo’s community volunteers have successfully completed
ten community infrastructure projects through seminars and trainings. These
projects like water systems, school buildings and day care centers and
roads were identified by the volunteers through intensive meetings on
participatory situational analyses, and are reflective of their most urgent
priorities.
In Kalahi-CIDSS, communities handle the entire project implementation process. As such, they are made to handle hundreds of thousands of pesos, which they did efficiently.
Three more sub-projects are being implemented for the second year, and are set to be completed before the end of this semester.
Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Marilyn Ortouste shared that most of the volunteers have not even graduated from elementary school because of poverty. Witnessing them taking part in project implementation is reassuring that now, even the poor actively take part in development initiatives. She hopes that the momentum will be sustained even after the three-year Kalahi-CIDSS program cycle. (JPA/DIS/DSWD 9/PIA9-ZBST)
In Kalahi-CIDSS, communities handle the entire project implementation process. As such, they are made to handle hundreds of thousands of pesos, which they did efficiently.
Three more sub-projects are being implemented for the second year, and are set to be completed before the end of this semester.
Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Marilyn Ortouste shared that most of the volunteers have not even graduated from elementary school because of poverty. Witnessing them taking part in project implementation is reassuring that now, even the poor actively take part in development initiatives. She hopes that the momentum will be sustained even after the three-year Kalahi-CIDSS program cycle. (JPA/DIS/DSWD 9/PIA9-ZBST)
