The Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), a multi-funded project of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), aids 2,051 communities with P1.07 billion for continued implementation this 2013.

With project coverage of 70 municipalities in all provinces of Bicol, Kalahi-CIDSS provides poverty-reduction projects to address local needs in the poorest areas in the region.

Kalahi-CIDSS project operates in different implementation processes with funding from the government and other international agencies. All provinces will receive grants to target poor communities. Albay will receive P149 million, Camarines Sur with P360 million, Camarines Norte with P97 million, Catanduanes with P48 million, Masbate with P197 million and Sorsogon with P218 million.

Kalahi-CIDSS is a community-driven development (CDD) project in the Philippines which strongly advocates the involvement of local communities in the design and implementation of development projects to address the issue of poverty in the country. It aims to improve local governance by employing the participation of the people in the communities in the development process.

Community residents consensually decide on what type of poverty-reduction projects they need for funding. Common projects include: public goods or access projects such as pathways, farm-to-market roads, health centers, water systems, day care centers and school buildings; community enterprise projects such as solar dryers, rice mills and community markets.

The selection of Kalahi-CIDSS project areas is based on the 2009 Philippines poverty statistics of National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). The regional poverty incidence among families is 36% where 45 in every 100 Bicolanos are poor.

To date, there are 70 municipalities implementing Kalahi-CIDSS project in different modalities. ###jmarbella