The city government of Legazpi City and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has forged a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the academe, business institutions and employment agencies to support project beneficiaries in livelihood and employment for two of the city’s barangays under the pilot implementation of Urban Kalahi-CIDSS (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services) last February 11, 2014 at the Legazpi City Hall.

The MOA Signing aims to strengthen the role of industries and private sectors in their corporate social responsibility commitment of helping improve the economic lives of the urban poor by serving as , and provider of technical support through provision of capability building activities to communities, employer, and ready market.

“I would like to thank all our partners, specifically the involved schools and manpower services, who render their commitment in corporate social responsibility to help the poor,” DSWD Field Office V Regional Director Arnel Garcia said.

Rawis and Bitano, the pilot areas of Urban Kalahi-CIDSS in the Bicol region, will soon be completing the construction of livelihood center with provision of garments production equipment and construction of community development center, respectively, this year.

In connection with this, DSWD tapped Mariners’ Polytechnic Colleges Foundation (MPCF)-Legazpi City, Aquinas University of Legazpi (AUL), Genecom Institute Of Science And Technology, Inc., Stretch Distribution, Inc., and Personnel Solutions.

As part of the sustainability component of the projects in the barangays, the aforementioned partners will provide employment (long-term or temporary) and conduct relevant trainings and seminars to interested residents from both barangays.

“Sustainability is the real mission of the project and we will implement it properly by engaging other non-government organizations,” Mayor Noel Rosal said.

Present during the MOA signing were DSWD Dir. Arnel Garcia, Roy Calfoforo of DSWD Central Office, Mayor Noel Rosal, Brgy. Capt. Joel M. Balinis of Bitano, Brgy. Capt. Joel Orosco of Rawis, Romulo Antivola of AUL, Ellaine Marie Tate of Personnel Solutions, Alma Alvarez of Genecom, Kalahi-CIDSS community volunteers and other local officials from the barangay and city LGUs.

The Kalahi-CIDSS project is one of the core poverty alleviation programs of DSWD along with Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).