Surigao del Sur – “It was a welcome development for the people of San Agustin,” Mayor Libertad O. Almeda said in her opening remarks during the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensice and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) municipal orientation and Memorandum of Agreement signing activity held at the Family Resource Training Center at the San Agustin Municipal Compound on June 21, 2016.

She added that the people of San Agustin will again benefit from the program just as it reaped the profits of Kalahi-CIDSS a few years back.

“Our municipality was a recipient of the Kalahi-CIDSS PODER modality in 2005-2010, so when the opportunity came for the program to be implemented in the town this year, we really grabbed the chance as our involvement helped the people here,” remarked Almeda.

Maredith Julve, Kalahi-CIDSS Sub-Regional Program Coordinator for Clusters 3 and 4, led the orientation which was attended by Surigao del Sur Provincial Administrator Efren Rivas (representing Governor Johnny Pimentel), Sanguniang Bayan members headed by Municipal Vice-Mayor Mamerta P. Milo, department heads and staff, barangay captains and their representatives, and Civil Society Organization representatives.

Julve emphasized the importance of collaboration to ensure the success of the program, and highlighted the roles and deliverables of the different stakeholders.

San Agustin, a late addition to the municipalities which will implement the National Community Driven Development Program (NCDDP) modality for the 2015-2016 cycle.

Kalahi-CIDSS is a program that utilizes the Community-Driven Development approach, where the community is given active participation in identifying and implementing community sub-projects which will address the community’s needs in their respective barangays.