By
Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY - Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and
Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), one of the
poverty-reduction and community empowerment projects implemented by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the World Bank was
chosen over 40 international candidates for the Development Impact Honors
Awards by the United States Treasury Department.
Melanie
Sison, National Social Marketing Officer of the project said that the
Development Impact Awards “recognizes the different projects supported by multilateral
development banks all over the world”. She furthered that the entries coming
from the different countries all over the globe was based on criteria such as
the quality of the results, focus on the primary sectors, innovations used, and
risk mitigation strategies utilized.
In his
letter to World Bank President Dr. Jim Kim, US Secretary of Treasury Jacob J.
Lew said that Kalahi-CISS was chosen because it is “especially high-impact and
noteworthy”.
Rodolfo Nillosguin
Jr., regional monitoring and evaluation officer of Kalahi-CIDSS shared that in
Region IX, 33 municipalities in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and
Zamboanga Sibugay are currently implementing Kalahi-CIDSS. Over 900 community
infrastructure and development projects were built by community volunteers,
many of whom are Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries.
The
municipalities are Leon Postigo, Baliguian, Godod, Jose Dalman, Mutia, Salug,
Gutalac, Kalawit, Katipunan, and Siayan in Zamboanga del Norte; Bayog, Dinas,
Dumingag, Lakewood, Lapuyan, Midsalip, San Pablo, Dumalinao, Josefina,
Kumalarang, Sominot, Dinas, Tigbao, Tukuran and Vincenzo Sagun, Zamboanga del
Sur; Alicia, Mabuhay, Payao, Mabuhay, Ipil, Kabasalan, Malangas and Naga,
Zamboanga Sibugay. These municipalities
will continue the project towards 2014, which will transform into a “National
Community Driven Development Program.”
Meanwhile, DSWD
Regional Director Zenaida L. Arevalo expressed optimism on the upcoming
implementation of the NCDDP. “This award re-echoes how the communities have
succeeded in realizing their most pressing needs. We are very optimistic that
the continuous implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS, now the NCDPP will reap more
development, especially for the poor families,” Director Arevalo said. (PIA9)