North Lamidan Barangay Captain Neil Johnson (left) looks on as ARD Ma. Vilia Vigil explains briefly the MOA to Don Marcelino Mayor John Johnson while ARENA Chair Mariano Alquiza congratulates Lawa Barangay Captain Angelito Caluyan in the recent ARENA Serbisyo Caravan.

DON MARCELINO, Davao del Sur – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office XI (DSWD) through the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB) modality of the Kalahi-CIDSS project moves ahead with its implementation activities in four (4) more beneficiary communities. In the recent “Serbisyo Caravan” of the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies (ARENA) held December 6, 2013 in Don Marcelino, Davao del Sur, four barangays in the locality were formally recognized as sub-project beneficiaries in a ceremonial turnover of signed Memorandums of Agreement.

DSWD Assistant Regional Director for Operations Ma. Vilia L. Vigil, representing Regional Director Priscilla N. Razon, led the turnover with ARENA Chair Mariano Alquiza and Don Marcelino Mayor John H. Johnson. Barangay Captains Neil Johnson of North Lamidan; Emily Johnson of South Lamidan; Angelito Caluyan of Lawa; and Joseph Betinol of Kinanga were on hand to receive copies of the MOA in behalf of their respective barangays.

A total grant fund of Php 3.15 million will cover construction of a Drop-In Center in Barangay Kinanga at a cost of Php 750,000 while the three other barangays will build Day Care Centers at Php 800,000 each. The required Request for Fund Release (RFR) documents are being prepared to facilitate downloading the first tranche of the allocated funds.

The BUB modality takes into consideration the development needs of poor cities/municipalities as identified in their respective Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP) formulated with the strong participation of basic sector organizations and civil society groups.

Through BUB, Kalahi-CIDSS gets implemented for the first time in the municipalities of Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, Kiblawan, Sarangani and Santa Maria in Davao del Sur; Davao City; Asuncion and Panabo City in Davao del Norte; Maco in Compostela Valley; and Baganga and Lupon in Davao Oriental. BUB has a total of 15 beneficiary municipalities with the inclusion of Kalahi-CIDSS recipients Talaingod and Santo Tomas in Davao del Norte; Compostela in Compostela Valley; and Tarragona in Davao Oriental. (DSWD)