BUTUAN CITY– The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Caraga and the local government unit of Butuan City signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on April 15, 2013 in a partnership for the pilot implementation of a community-driven development (CDD) project through Kalahi-CIDSS.

According to DSWD regional director Minda B. Brigoli, the impetus of this first urban CDD implementation in Caraga sprang from the successful ten-year implementation of Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) in rural communities since 2003.

“Kalahi-CIDSS has shown that development can be achieved through a bottom-up approach in local governance and it is continually reaping success in alleviating poverty by empowering and capacitating citizens in decision-making and we have champions throughout the region to attest that,” Brigoli said.

The CDD approach is a poverty alleviation strategy that puts power back in the hands of the people by giving them the opportunity to have active control in deciding which projects will be implemented in their communities.

The Kalahi-CIDSS urban CDD pilot project implementation will cover two barangays in the city. These are barangay Doongan and barangay Pagatpatan, which were identified through the 2009 survey of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) where 2,018 of poorest of the poor households in the city are residing.

Each barangay will receive a grant of one million pesos for infrastructure or livelihood projects depending on a decision the community will reach.

The grant will come from the World Bank for proposed infrastructure projects and the Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF) for proposed community livelihood projects. ### (Social Marketing Unit)