CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Central Luzon (DSWD-3), through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), has turned over 14 subprojects to villages in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.
The subprojects have a total cost of PHP18.7 million, of which over PHP14.9 million came from the DSWD while more than PHP3.7 million came from the local government units (LGUs).
The projects that were turned over from Dec. 12 to 20 include a barangay health station, disaster response facility, isolation facility, provision of Covid-19 kits and medical tools and others.
Pantabangan Municipal Social Welfare Development Officer Rowena R. Dizon said on Thursday the KALAHI-CIDSS subprojects aim to empower the communities to achieve improved access to social services, by involving its members in more inclusive local planning and giving them control over decisions and resources.
She said through the KALAHI-CIDSS program, villagers actively participate to identify and prioritize their community’s problems and allow them to design, implement, and manage solutions to their priority concerns.
“Kung tutuusin kaya naman ng MSWDO (Municipal Social Welfare Development Office) o ng LGU (local government unit) na mag-implement ng mga projects na yan, pero ang KALAHI-CIDSS ibinaba yan sa mga barangay kasi sila yung pinaka grassroots. Sila ang tunay na nakakaalam kung ano talaga ang tunay na pangangailangan ng mga barangay. Binibigyan sila ng karapatan na mag desisyon para sa ikauunlad ng mga barangay sila (If we think about it, the MSWDO or LGU can implement those projects, but KALAHI-CIDSS brings it down to the barangays because they are in the grassroots. They are the ones who truly know the needs of the villages. They are being given the right to make decisions for the development of their villages),” Dizon said in a statement.
For his part, Aladin L. Naje, KALAHI-CIDSS Community Development Officer IV, cited the vital contribution of the local government and community volunteers in the success of the KALAHI-CIDSS subprojects.
“It is time to recognize the priceless contribution of our community volunteers and also to the LGU and barangay LGU who become part of the successful implementation of the sub-projects. We are also proud of how the barangays sustained the gains of the implementation, operation, and maintenance of the sub-projects,” Naje said.
Meanwhile, Pantabangan Mayor Roberto T. Agdipa underscored the importance of the implementation of KALAHI-CIDSS and assured full support to the program. (PNA)
