Culasi Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Sylvia Malacad believes the town was given greater opportunities to develop with the Community-Driven Development approach enforced by Kalahi-CIDSS.

Malacad assumed as the Municipal Area Coordinator from 2012 to 2017. The responsibility was an added task for her. “The program promotes transparency, accountability, empowerment, and participation which the local government unit upholds to sustain.”

From 2012-2019, Kalahi-CIDSS has provided a grant of more than P135 million for the completion of 136 sub-projects in Culasi. While the local government unit has poured P18.5 million as a local cash counterpart contribution.

At first, Malacad was doubtful of the process and capacity of the community to chart their own development. “At first I was not in favor of the guidelines which were unclear to us.”

However, with the constant brainstorming with the members of the Municipal Inter-agency Committee and the Regional Project Management all our reservations were dispelled, “ she said.

She said they have encountered problems during the early years of implementation. However, through the years, the local government unit had mastered the processes that govern the Kalahi-CIDSS implementation.

“The conduct of the Participatory Situation Analysis is the process that I really appreciate. It has created changes to our system. It is a Bottoms Up process where the community identifies its needs and problems. This gives the local government unit an eye on what the community really needs. This process was adopted in crafting the Barangay Action of each community, “ said Malacad.

The conduct of the barangay assemblies is also one of the mechanisms of Kalahi-CIDSS where the local government unit was appreciative. “It promotes transparency among the members of the community. The people also developed a sense of accountability after the completion of their projects, she added.

Malacad added that the Community Force Account system in implementing the small scale projects raise the value of the Program in the community. “It provides an income to the community.”

In the Community Force Account, residents can implement their projects through their own labor force especially those which does not require the services of private contractors and equipment.

Kalahi-CIDSS Program paves the way between the Community and the leaders to work as one. The community became capable of holding the procurement, implementation, and financial activities.

Many lives were changed as every barangays were now accessible and even discovered and have given a greater opportunity to develop, ended Malacad. #