Butuan City – In a continued effort to bring the basic social services needs of people to far-flung areas in the region, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga is allocating some Php55,320,000.00 grant in development projects through its anti-poverty program called Kalahi-CIDSS.

This was learned from Assistant Regional Director Mita G. Lim who said that this new fund is still part of the expansion of the Kalahi-CIDSS project and the first loan agreement with World Bank.

The grant will be utilized for infrastructure projects and capacity-building activities as Kalahi-CIDSS is expanding its coverage to nine (9) new municipalities in the region.

“The project expansion will commence with simultaneous project launching and MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) signing in the respective areas with key partner stakeholders within the next two weeks,” Lim said.

The project will cover the areas of RTR and Kitcharao in Agusan del Norte; Alegria, Mainit, Tubod, Del Carmen, Burgos, and Sta. Monica in Surigao del Norte; and Lingig in Surigao del Sur.

Aside from the grant that will come from DSWD, the beneficiary municipalities will also provide their local counterpart contribution (LCC) of 30 percent of their respective grants in cash and in-kind.

“The Kalahi-CIDSS financial system works in a way that key development players are given roles in planning, budgeting and decision-making that make up half of the implementation process that ensures transparency and accountability; each contributing an impact in alleviating poverty,” Lim added.

Since its pilot implementation in 2003, Kalahi-CIDSS has disbursed a total grant of Php357,786,439.20 in completing 490 sub-projects in 321 barangays in 22 municipalities in Caraga region. ### (DSWD Caraga – Social Marketing Unit)