World Bank ups aid for Kalahi-CIDSS

THE World Bank on Friday said it approved additional funding to expand the Philippines’ project to reduce poverty incidence in the countryside. The Washington-based lender said its board approved $59.1 million to expand the Kapitbisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Project.

The project empowers local communities in targeted poor areas to achieve improved access to basic public services and to participate in more inclusive local planning and budgeting.

Using a community-driven development approach, the KALAHI-CIDSS helps poor communities develop the necessary skills and provides them with resources to select, implement, and sustain small-scale community infrastructure projects and social services.

Implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) since 2002, the original
KALAHI-CIDSS project has benefited 1.1 million households in 4,229 barangays, covering 184 municipalities in the country’s 42 poorest provinces.

The project has financed 5,326 community sub-projects including basic social services facilities, such as water systems, school buildings, health and day care centers; access roads and small bridges; and environmental and disaster control infrastructure.

The additional financing will expand the project’s reach to 220 municipalities that have a poverty incidence of 50 percent or greater, within the provinces already covered.

Bert Hofman, World Bank country director said the additional financing for KALAHI-CIDSS is fully consistent with the bank’s Country Assistance Strategy for 2010 to 2012.

“The project fully supports the overall objective of making growth work for the poor by improving the delivery of basic public services to poor areas, as well as enhancing transparency and accountability at the local level,” Hofman said.

The lender’s board in 2002 had approved a $100 million assistance to the project.

Last year, the project’s closing was extended until May this year to provide sufficient time for the completion of activities. The additional financing will last until May 31, 2013.

Hofman said that the additional financing would contribute to the scaling-up of the KALAHI-CIDSS towards becoming a fully nationwide community-driven development program.

“[These] approaches are an important part of World Bank support in the Philippines and are one of the most effective means of promoting the demand for better local governance,” Hofman said.

Corazon Juliano-Soliman said KALAHI-CIDSS trains villagers in project planning, technical design, financial management and procurement, thus building a cadre of future capable leaders at the local level.

“It gives poor people a voice in the development process as they learn how to engage their local governments more effectively in requesting funding and other support to help address local development priorities,” Soliman said. –DARWIN G. AMOJELAR SENIOR REPORTER, Manila Times