Representatives of Millennium Challenge Account of the Philippines (MCA-P), the accountable organization committed to manage the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant given to DSWD, conducted series of monitoring visits in Bicol last June 24-28, 2012.

The MCA-P team went to community subprojects implemented under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) in Baao, Bula, Libmanan, Ocampo and Bombon.

Monitoring and Evaluation Director Elcid Pangilinan, Kalahi-CIDSS Specialist Rogelio Borbon and Internal Auditor Melba Luzarita of MCA-P monitored the status of implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS by performing oversight field visits in randomly identified areas.

MCA-P provides technical supervision to ensure that the project meets the standards to successfully complete development interventions in the communities.

“Kalahi-CIDSS is not just about infrastructures; it’s all about capacitating the communities to manage its own development that’s why we need to transfer this technology to the people,” Borbon said.

From 2011 to present, MCC has funded 677 barangays. It has provided a grant around 722 million for its implementation in Bicol until 2015.

Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the three core poverty alleviation programs of DSWD. Employing “Community-Driven Development” as a strategy, Kalahi-CIDSS trains and engages communities together with their local governments (barangay and municipal) to choose, design, and implement development projects to address their most pressing needs.

With Kalahi-CIDSS assistance, communities and local government units have built school buildings, farm-to-market roads and bridges, health stations, day care centers, common service post-harvest facilities, and many others, small-scale but responsive to community-identified needs.###jmarbella