A new road project located in Barangay Suawon, New Corella, Davao del Norte, completed through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services ( Kalahi-CIDSS)  of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is expected to open better economic activities for the 520 villagers.

The DSWD inaugurated and turned over the road project to the barangay last month.

The 100 Linear-Meter Road with Single Barrel Box Culvert project was completed using the P1,404,426 funding support from DSWD and the P250,796 counterpart fund of the local government unit of New Corella.

For the locals in the barangay, the completed road project will help improve the general standard of living in their area since this will reduce the time and cost of transporting goods, thereby encouraging traders to do business.

Moreover,  children can also safely go to school and will no longer traverse the muddy and dangerous path, especially during heavy rains.

The villagers themselves identified the construction of the road project as their primary need and they themselves helped implement it, as part of Kalahi-CIDSS’ community-driven approach.

Aside from the new road structure, a Togan Center/tribal hall will also rise in the same barangay to benefit some 249 Indigenous Peoples (IP).  The tribal hall will serve a venue for  cultural activities, meetings, and assemblies of the IP-households

DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo hopes to empower more communities through sustainable development activities.

She said, “We want to capacitate more localities around the country because it is through their participation, collective action and engagement that communities can make the change that they want and deserve.”

Kalahi-CIDSS is a community-driven development (CDD) program handled by the DSWD to empower people through sustainable development, enhanced participation in local governance, and management of poverty alleviation projects. ###