Thursday, July 06, 2006
Tapaz is now a Kalahi area
TAPAZ, Capiz -- The municipality of Tapaz in the province of Capiz is now a Kalahi-Cidss:KKB (Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services: Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay) area.
Kalahi-Cidss is the revolutionary approach of the government to combat poverty by empowering communities in identifying their immediate problems and prioritizing the projects that would best meet their needs. The project is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through a loan facility from the World Bank.
Tapaz is the fourth municipality in Capiz to be identified as a Kalahi area after Jamindan, Dumarao and Maayon. The project also covers the municipalities of Concepcion, Ajuy, Barotac Viejo, Calinog, Carles, Janiuay, Lambunao, Lemery, Maasin, San Dionisio and San Rafael in Iloilo province; and Cauayan in Negros Occidental.
DSWD Assistant Regional Director Joel P. Galicia said that under Kalahi, all 58 barangays in Tapaz will vie for the P17.4 million annual allocation to fund pro-poor sub-projects.
"The P17.4 million will be the municipality's allocation each year of the three-year engagement. Of this, each barangay will have an equal chance to present their proposed sub-projects for fund prioritization," Galicia explained.
Among the sub-projects funded by Kalahi are day care centers, health stations, mini-market, post-harvest facilities, farm-to-market roads, classroom buildings, sea walls, hanging bridges and electrification projects, among others. Since the project was launched in Western Visayas in 2003, there are now about 230 various sub-projects constructed and fully operational in depressed barangays in the region.
For his part, Mayor Romualdo Exmundo, Jr. expressed his full support to the project's implementation. During the project launching held recently at Tapaz Civic Center, the local chief executive said Kalahi would help bring about development projects in barangays particularly those mired by insurgency problems.
Kalahi Area Coordinator Jocelyn Velasco said Tapaz has 25 upland barangays. A number of these barangays is rebel-infested.
"With the support and involvement of barangay and municipal officials, other line agencies of the government and the community, we hope to bridge the gap between poverty and progress," said Velasco.
Present during the activity were Vice Mayor Victor Gardose, 1st Lieutenant Marvin delos Santos of the Bravo Coy of 17 IB 3ID of the Philippine Army, Teresa Nepomuceno, PDO 4, Kalahi-Cidss Project Coordinator Lucita J. Villanueva, Community Development Supervisor Sharon Tusalem, Deputy Regional Infrastructure Engineer Edgar Almira and the Area Coordinating Teams of Kalahi in Tapaz led by Area Coordinators Velasco, Merlyn Gison and Ma. Liezel Gilo. (DSWD/KC/ALJ)
(July 6, 2006 issue)
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