BUTUAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Caraga closed its year with a near-perfect fund utilization for its anti-poverty project called Kalahi-CIDSS, this was learned during the project’s year-end assessment and evaluation meeting last December.

A total of Php 135,771,894.53 was utilized by beneficiary communities from the Php 136,979,959.78 that was released and downloaded directly to community accounts.

“We were projecting a hundred percent fund disbursement at the start of 2012 but with the variety of sub-projects the communities are implementing, there are those that need facilitating payment of contract works,” DSWD Caraga assistant regional director for operation and project manager, Mita G. Lim, explained.

With this accomplishment, the regional project management office of Kalahi-CIDSS is shifting to full gear as barangays are getting ready for the completion of their respective sub-projects or infrastructures for proper turn-over in the first quarter of 2013.

The year 2012 saw three “phases” of Kalahi-CIDSS implemented in 139 barangays in 16 municipalities in the region.

Lim added that a total of 139 sub-projects or infrastructures are almost ready to be inaugurated and be accessed by both volunteers and community residents once the remaining funds are fully utilized and closing of community accounts are facilitated. ### (Social Marketing Unit)