GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 27 July) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 12 has completed an additional P6.86-million worth of development projects through a World Bank-assisted anti-poverty initiative.
Gemma Rivera, DSWD-12 assistant regional director, said Friday the completed projects comprise three school buildings and a water system that were built in remote villages in Bagumbayan town in Sultan Kudarat.
She said the projects were implemented under the community-based program Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).
Rivera said the newly-completed community projects would benefit 1,754 households in four barangays of Bagumbayan.
“These projects are mainly aimed to reduce poverty and help improve the quality of life of the beneficiaries,” she said in a statement.
The official said the new school buildings, were constructed in Barangays Daluga, Monteverde and South Sepaka.
She said the Daluga and Monteverde classroom projects cost P2.03 million each while the South Sepaka project cost P1.93 million.
“These were put up in response to the clamor of local residents to resolve the classroom congestion and shortage in their areas,” she said.
Rivera said the potable water system project, which cost P866,000, was constructed in the mountain village of Sto. Niño and will benefit 310 households.
Aside from these, she said the installation of another P3.42-million worth of solar power projects are ongoing in the villages of Sumilil and Kanulay.
These projects are due for completion before yearend and will benefit 393 households in the area, she said
Kalahi-CIDSS forms part of the three-pronged anti-poverty convergence programs of the national government that are implemented by the DSWD.
Dubbed “Tatsulok,” the initiative includes the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps and Sustainable Livelihood Program.
Under the Kalahi-CIDSS, poor communities are capacitated to analyze their own problems, manage, plan, and implement their identified project to answer their pressing needs.
In Region 12, the project was able to help build various community infrastructure projects such as school buildings, bridges, health stations, water systems, day care centers, roads, post-harvest facilities, and other common services.
