What is Kalahi-CIDSS?
It is one of the poverty alleviation programs of the Philippine Government implemented through the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
It scales up the operations of the community-driven development (CDD) approach used by Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of
Social Service (Kalahi-CIDSS), it predecessor.Kalahi-CIDSS started in 2003.
Empowerment and Local Governance
The development objective of Kalahi CIDSS is to have barangays/communities of targeted municipalities become empowered to achieve improved access to
services and participate in more inclusive local planning,budgeting and implementation.
Key features of Kalahi-CIDSS
• Community involvement. Citizens, not just public officials,
are involved in local planning and decision-making
in Kalahi CIDSS-NCDDP. Community-chosen priorities are
turned in sub-projects, plans, and activities and feed into
the municipality’s planning and budgeting process.
• Post-disaster response. Disaster-affected municipalities
in Kalahi CIDSS covered provinces can
become part of the program.
• Grievance redress system. Anyone can submit
questions and complaints about Kalahi CIDSS,
including but not limited to issues regarding corruption or
violation of project procedures.
• Open menu system. Kalahi CIDSS follows an
open menu system which allows communities to choose
and implement sub-projects that will address their most
pressing needs.
• Community-based finance and procurement. Funds
of sub-project implementation are release directly to community
accounts and managed by community volunteers.
Procurement activities are directly carried out by communities.
Volunteering in Kalahi-CIDSS
The Kalahi CIDSS volunteers are a new generation of heroes who put the good of their community over their personal interest of benefit. They are the engines that drive the process in Kalahi-CIDSS and are responsible among others for implementing the community projects and handling funds.
Why volunteer in Kalahi CIDSS?
CDD has proven that citizen involvement is not only an effective strategy in poverty alleviation, it also helps improve community resiliency. Kalahi CIDSS seeks to mobilize volunteers from poverty-affected municipalities to work together to improve to condition of their village. Everyone is encouraged to be part of community building.
Through people’s collaboration, communities will be able to push for more participatory, transparent, and accountable local planning, decision-making, and project
implementation.