DSWD-7 and the Philippine Army implements poverty alleviation in Neg Or

By Amorganda A. Saludar

Wednesday 16th of May 2012

CEBU CITY, May 16 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) -7, in combined efforts with the 79th Infantry Batallion, 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army (PA), deployed project staff and personnel to 11 identified municipalities of Negros Oriental to facilitate the implementation of the activities of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).

Kalahi-CIDSS is a national project of the Government of the Philippines aimed at alleviating poverty among identified poor families and directly managed by the DSWD. It started in 2003 with two provinces in Region VII particularly the provinces of Bohol and Siquijor.

But starting this year 2012 until 2015, the project would be implemented in the Province of Negros Oriental covering 11 municipalities, namely Ayungon, Basay, Bindoy, Dauin, Jimalalud, Mabinay, Manjuyod, Pamplona, Santa Catalina, Vallehermoso, and Zamboanguita.

Since some of the hinterland communities in NegOr have been identified with safety challenges due to the existence of groups with opposing ideologies, the 79th Infantry Batallion, 3rd Infantry Division of the PA deployed its own personnel to look after the situation of the area, and together with the social welfare agency, has come up with a strategy to ensure a secure and safe conduct of project implementation of activities in the said province.

Project staff and personnel deployed in said areas are tasked to facilitate the activities of the Kalahi-CIDSS project implementation, a community-driven development project in which the Kalahi-CIDSS personnel will be visiting communities, meeting local people and integrating with them as part of the process of community empowerment activity cycle.

With this new partnership with the PA, DSWD-7 will then be able to reach all communities in Negros Oriental and address its goal of alleviating poverty by 2015.

The project was launched together with the signing of a memorandum of agreement last April 17 at the Bethel Guest Hotel in Dumaguete City, NegOr that formally signaled the start of the project implementation. (FCR/AS/DSWD-7/ PIA-7, CEBU)