Butuan City (8 April) -- Hundreds of residents in Libjo, a coastal town in the province of Dinagat Islands rejoiced as nine of its community projects funded last year by the KALAHI-CIDSS Project were inaugurated on April 1, 2 and 3, 2009.

Said infrastructures consist of water system, high school buildings, drainage, health facilities, day care and some hundreds of linear meters of seawall which the residents claimed to be of utmost need in their barangays.

In all of his inauguration speeches delivered in the different recipient barangays, town mayor Lamberto Llamera, Jr. emphasized the stringent but effective processes of KALAHI-CIDSS. He said that through this "tedious" processes, residents who volunteered to work for the project learn and understand how the government worked for its development efforts.

"We have been used to the old system of implementing projects, we love to cut corners to make our projects quick," says Mayor Llamera in Surigaonon dialect.

"But in KALAHI-CIDSS, it's different. They taught us the proper way no matter how stringent its is. Nabaid ang ato pangutok… ang uban prohekto wala gani mag-indoktrina sa mga katawhan" (Our minds were sharpened… the other projects haven't even bothered to teach the people), the mayor explained.

Leopoldo Cabeza, a high school principal in Brgy. Albor who shared his experiences from KALAHI-CIDSS, likewise attested that the project has empowered ordinary residents in their small town.

"I learned a lot of things in KALAHI-CIDSS which I have not earned in my attendance to the numerous seminars conducted by the Education Department," said Cabeza. Being a principal of the school which had availed funding for a 3-classroom building, Mr. Cabeza unselfishly volunteered his extra time to supervise the construction. He heads the Monitoring and Inspectorate Team for the project.

The success of KALAHI-CIDSS in Libjo was well-felt in all its 16 barangays who each have availed at least one community project chosen by the community people themselves. Because of this, Mayor Llamera affirmed their interest to participate in case KALAHI-CIDSS pushes for another project life. He also announced that the LGU has always been ready with its counterpart, especially if it's for the projects implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.