Representatives of selected Developing Member Countries (DMC) cited the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), one of the flagship anti-poverty projects of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), for being effective in empowering its beneficiary-communities into becoming active participants in local development.
This was revealed during the output presentation of the representatives from Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam following their field visit to Bohol, where they went to the municipalities of San Miguel and Carmen to observe and learn more about Kalahi-CIDSS implementation in the country.
The learning visit, which ran from February 4-8, 2013, was organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in coordination with the DSWD to provide the DMC representatives the opportunity to study the project’s features and processes, and to identify strategies and options that they can adapt in their own community-driven development (CDD) implementation.
Aside from visiting the project sites, which were a health center, a farm-to-market road, and a Level II water system in Carmen, a footbridge and an electrification project in San Miguel, the country-representatives also had discussions with DSWD Field Office VII staff members, Kalahi-CIDSS community volunteers, and local government officials on their experience in CDD implementation through the Project.
Aside from aiding in poverty alleviation, Kalahi-CIDSS also aims to improve local governance by increasing transparency and empower the citizens of beneficiary-communities.
As A.K.M Rezaul Islam, one of the Bangladesh representatives said, “The capacity development and empowerment of the community develop leadership quality, confidence, and self-reliance.”
Dinh Quang Thang of Vietnam said that although his country already implements CDD, it did not involve volunteers as strongly as Kalahi-CIDSS does, a factor that he wants to be adapted by Vietnam. Dulce Guterres Junior, one of the Timor-Leste representatives, on the other hand, cited that the Project is able to empower citizens by putting the power back in their hands. “Kalahi-CIDSS involves volunteers, from the planning to implementation to project management,” Junio said. This was also the reflection of Cambodia representative Ny Kimsan, who also added that the clear volunteer structure of Kalahi-CIDSS provided proper checks and balances in the system, thereby increasing transparency and accountability.
Kalahi-CIDSS National Project Manager Edgar G. Pato responded to these by discussing how the Project invests in communities. “Kalahi-CIDSS encourages participation by building up individuals and capacitating communities to enable them to participate in development.”
Some of the representatives cited how the empowerment and greater participation of communities in implementing Kalahi-CIDSS projectsled to better maintenance of these structures. According to Islam, “The community participation in planning, implementation, and maintenance allows them to own the infrastructures which they themselves have built.” Kimsan said that the greater ownership of the citizens of their projects will allow the greater likelihood of sustainability.
Islam also lauded Kalahi-CIDSS for making the most out of its allocated funds into addressing the needs of communities. “Kalahi-CIDSS maximizes the benefits by utilizing minimal resources to communities,” he said.
Kalahi-CIDSS uses the CDD strategy in its response to poverty. This approach gives the citizenry the opportunity to have active control in deciding which projects will be implemented in their communities. The active involvement of communities in this type of program proved to be effective in community empowerment and poverty alleviation, as evidenced by the ten-year track record of Kalahi-CIDSS. As shared by Pato, “Leadership and governance are not just lodged on the leaders of the community, but also to the men and women living in the area.”
Evelyn Adolph of the Federated States of Micronesia shared that CDD might be the missing link that would re-connect the ties between the government and the citizenry. “It is important to introduce the CDD approach to reestablish the connection with the communities,” she said. “There should be a strong linkage between the government and the communities for development, and CDD can be used as the bridge for this” added Adolph.
Gerelchuluun Yondon-Oidov, one of the representatives of Mongolia said, “CDD allows people to have a better understanding of sustainable development and hope for a better future.” He added that he hopes to have this strategy adapted in his country, particularly since he said all conditions are ready in Mongolia for the implementation of CDD-type programs. ###
