By BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan — Despite being a first-class municipality, Kalibo was chosen as a beneficiary of the Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services – National Community Driven Development Program.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which implements the program, had allotted a P26-million grant for the town.
The amount will be used to rehabilitate the barangays and the people affected by super typhoon “Yolanda.”
While it was outside the 670 poor municipalities targeted by the program, Kalibo was categorized as “Yolanda-affected.”
The grant was determined by the poverty incidence level and the population of the town based on the 2010 national census.
Proposed rehabilitation projects will be collaborations between the barangays and the municipal government, under the supervision of the Regional Project Management.
The local government will have a counterpart of about P11 million, either in cash or in the form of materials, labor and trainings. The projects are expected to be implemented within 18 months.
Kalibo earlier expressed its intent to implement the program, DSWD regional director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre has confirmed.
It has submitted an enrolment form and a Sangguniang Bayan resolution authorizing Mayor William Lachica to enter into a memorandum of agreement with DSWD and other partners and stakeholders.
The National Community Driven Development Program focuses on disaster risk reduction and management in “Yolanda”-affected areas and the poorest towns in the country.
It covers 847 municipalities in 58 provinces of 14 regions in the country.
The program has three components: community grants, capacity-building and implementation, and program management, monitoring and evaluation.
It involves, among others, the construction of day care centers, school buildings, classrooms, foot bridges, access roads, community water systems, health sanitations, seawalls, flood systems and artificial reef sanctuaries.
It also empowers the target communities to identify their priority needs and implement and monitor projects.
In March, Lachica announced that the construction of a bridge connecting barangays Bakhaw Sur and Bakhaw Norte will be funded under the program. (Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
