Residents, who take the lead role in the implementation of the 1,284 people-identified subprojects in Bicol under Kalahi-CIDSS- Kapit- Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), had already started the construction of the said community projects this month.

“We target that these subprojects are completed before the year ends so that the poor villages can immediately use these facilities and services,” Dir. Arnel Garcia said.

According to Dir. Garcia, DSWD had already downloaded 1.048 billion out of the 2.3 billion grant for the 2014-2015 implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS to the communities in 88 municipalities. Barangays had already opened separate bank accounts to get the Kalahi-CIDSS grants.

“The project-hired area coordinators of DSWD, Barangay Treasurers and the Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee (BSPMC) Chairpersons are the bank signatories authorized to disburse the funds for the labor and materials and other administrative expenses incurred for the subprojects,” Dir. Garcia added.

DSWD requires the communities to submit documents to avail of the funds which is released in three tranches. DSWD will only download the first tranche of the funds when the communities completely submit documents such as project proposals, technical/engineering, financial, legal and procurement documents. The rest of the funds are only transferred to their accounts when the communities reached the required target for the subproject physical completion and fund utilization with corresponding liquidation of documents to DSWD for the succeeding two tranches.

“The residents who are elected as volunteers are trained on project management with the technical assistance from our DSWD-hired employees to ensure that there is people participation and transparency in all transactions done,” Dir. Garcia added.

On the other hand, communities were selected based on the community’s population, number of poor households and damage affected households (Typhoon Glenda, Super Typhoon Yolanda).

Marjorie Oshiro of Brgy. San Roque, Sto. Domingo, Albay was delighted that the construction of the drainage canal that will benefit 224 household including theirs had started last July 16, 2015. She said that their house gets inundated during continuous downpour and looks forward that the canal will protect them from flooding once completed.

San Roque had already received the first tranche download of P453,144.20 out of the total project cost of P566,430.25.

Subprojects refer to the community projects generated through the Kalahi-CIDSS planning process. It is a set of development activities or interventions designed, implemented, maintained by a partner community in Barangay/s in order to respond/address a need/s or problem/s identified during the Participatory Situation Analysis.