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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Infra projects come second to Kalahi-CIDSS knowledge, poor’s participation in dev’t : Zambo Norte mayor


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.

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)