Siquijor LGU welcomes KALAHI-CIDSS project

by Rizalie A. Calibo

SIQUIJOR, August 8 (PIA) -- The local government unit of Siquijor welcomed the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social (KALAHI-CIDSS) - Makamasang Tugon initiative of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the province.

During the project re-launching recently, Municipal Mayor Richard Quezon said KALAHI-CIDSS Makamasang Tugon is "the best program" as it gives locals the chance to show their abilities and learn how a small government can run and manage a community-based endeavor.

“I learned to love the project because it is community-driven,” he said, expressing satisfaction that all barangays in his municipality were able to implement the projects based on their needs and priorities.

“Everything is done in the proper way and everybody is true in its implementation,” he said. KALAHI-CIDSS concept spells honesty and transparency and encouraged involvement of the whole community, he added.

Likewise, Siquijor Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Gilbert Briones, in his testimonial of success said KALAHI-CIDSS touched the lives of the people in the town’s 42 barangays.

He cited the project’s strong advocacy on empowering communities, improving local governance and reducing poverty anchored on genuine People Participation, Transparency and Accountability (PTA).

He said the Makamasang Tugon project stressed out the importance of community-driven initiative so that development interventions emanated from the grass roots.

“This process gained a wide array of support from the “masa” and from our local officials,” he said.

He also said harmonizing Community Driven Development to Local Planning Process is seen by the local leaders, the peoples organizations (POs) and the non-government organizations (NGOs) as essential in attaining real socio economic transformation.

“We are proud to say, that, we are now gradually moving away from our traditional methods in choosing and implementing our projects,” he said.

The mayor cited the barangay folks total participation in the entire cycle of the project process-from the inception stage until the completion.

“To mention a few of the processes which are now very familiar in the barangays is the sector consultation through Barangay Assembly and Participatory Situation Analysis. Purchasing of goods and services up to the project implementation is done and managed by the community, he said.

With this development, he said, the Makamasang Tugon Project radically transformed the management approaches of our local leaders and its functionaries.

It recognizes and enhances the decision making rights of the “masa” and has made the local leaders effective, responsive as attested by the outcomes of the project.

He also said that through KALAHI-CIDSS, the people developed a sense of ownership for community projects as they become more aware of their civic duties and their roles in making development happen.

“They feel that the success of the project is the fruit of their labor, he said.

Siquijor and Enrique Villanueva towns have been the recipients of three project cycles that was started in January 2003 where nearly P110 million in grants and local counterparts were spent for the various infrastructure and other projects.

This year another P25M grant-one year project cycle for the two towns is lined up following the previous years’ successful implementation.

But this year, the DSWD said, the project will only take place for one year or one project cycle for Bohol and Siquijor since the provinces have been already covered by the project in phases 1, 2, 3A and 3B by the World Bank.

The P25M comes from the $120M additional funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) that supports the government’s anti-poverty program. (PIA-Siquijormbcn/rac)

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NFA Siquijor intensifies i-rice promotion

by Rizalie A. Calibo

LARENA, Siquijor, Aug.8 (PIA) -- To complement its rice stabilization activities, the National Food Authority (NFA) in Siquijor intensified its promotional campaign to alleviate the chronic problem of iron deficiency among young children and lactating mothers through the sale and distribution of NFA iron-fortified rice (I-rice) through its accredited outlets.

Information Officer Elvira M. Calibo, in her press release said, the agency sold i-rice at the same price with the NFA well-milled rice at P27 per kilo to end-consumers through the usual NFA outlets.

She said, the NFA also coordinates with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the implementation of the newly-launched Supplemental Feeding Program.

NFA shall supply the same I-rice variety to the DSWD-identified feeding centers, she said.

The program is being carried out on the basis of a memorandum of agreement signed by directors of NFA and the DSWD in line with the government’s Millennium Development Goal I, which aims to extreme poverty and hunger.

For Siquijor province, P26,616 kilos or approximately 532 bags of rice has been allocated for the initial implementation of the feeding program.

This is intended to serve 2,218 day care children in 150 day care centers of 131 barangays in the whole province as identified by the DSWD, Calibo concluded. (PIA-Siquijor/mbcn/rac & NFA-Siquijor/emc)