From The National Director
For seven years now, the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Project has been empowering the country’s poorest communities through the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach.
From its pilot testing in six barangays in Dolores, Quezon in 2002, the Project never wavered in its commitment to reduce poverty, enhance community capacity and improve local governance.
Our commitment to the effective and democratic delivery of social services bore quality results. With 5,236 community sub-projects, KALAHI-CIDSS has been able reach 4,583 barangays in the poorest 200 municipalities in 42 provinces and benefited 1.1 Million households and an estimated 6.6 Million poor Filipinos nationwide.
However, more than the community sub-projects – the roads, water systems, school buildings and other infrastructures funded, what matters most to us is the legacy of empowerment that KALAHI-CIDSS built in the communities.
We count our successes in terms of the ordinary Filipinos who take responsibility for charting their own development, who make informed decisions, and rise to be the change agents in their own communities. We find strength in the overwhelming support that our partners - the communities, municipalities, provinces and regions show. We find pride in every community transformed from a state of apathy to one of genuine unity and participation.
The DSWD, hand-in-hand with our Local Government Units and volunteers, remains committed in demonstrating the community-driven approach to more areas where government intervention is needed most.
Secretary Corazon “Dinky” J. Soliman
National Project Director