Tublay to implement P 7.2M project for community development

TUBLAY, Benguet – A total of P 7.2M worth of community development projects will be implemented here after this fifth-class municipality has formally accepted the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services – National Community Driven Development Program (KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to help uplift the living condition of the people, particularly those living in the remote villages.
Tublay is among the fifty (50) target municipalities that will implement the said program in the Cordillera Administrative Region. KALAHI CIDSS – NCDDP is one of the core poverty alleviation programs of the Government and the expansion of community-driven development (CDD) strategy into a national scale.
“I am happy to be able to benefit from this project. Since I took the seat as a Mayor of this municipality, I have been taking steps in implementing CDD, but of course our financial resources are not enough. I am happy that my municipality will be helped with the same vision that I have,” Mayor Ruben E. Paoad said.
Being one of the fifth class municipalities in the province of Benguet and having a poverty index of 30.43% based from 2009 Poverty Incidence data, the municipality is entitled to a Municipal Grant Allocation of P400.00 per head. A total of P6, 622,000.00 Municipal Grant Allocation for the whole municipality of Tublay will be allotted for their implementation of Sub-Projects for one cycle.
Aside from the grant, Janet Armas, DSWD-CAR regional director, said the LGU of Tublay will be providing its local cash counterpart amounting to P 600,000.00. For 2015, the KALAHI CIDSS- NCDDP will follow the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Process (GPBP) Policy Guidelines or the DBM-DILG-DSWD-NAPC Joint Memorandum Circular No.4.which states that   “LGUs implementing the KALAHI CIDSS- NCDDP must provide a percentage of their Local Development Fund as cash counterpart for the program. For Tublay, they are to deliver 10% of the Local Development Fund (LDF).
“We value this kind of project. Rest assured that we are interested to implement KALAHI (CIDSS- NCDDP). In fact we already deposited the municipality’s counterpart,” Mayor Paoad said. He also reiterated to the Barangay Officials that the program should not be used as their avenue for political campaign, “Ito ay programa na pangungunahan ng ating mga barangay residents, pero ipakita natin na tayo ay narito para tumulong, hindi para impluwensiyahan ng kanilang mga desisyon o pamamaraan ng pagpapatakbo nitong programa. (This program will be led by the community, but we should show them that we are here to help and support, and not to influence them on their decisions and program implementation.)”, he added.
On the other hand, residents in the said municipality have expressed their support for the Program. “In behalf of the Association of Barangay Captains, we are willing to accept and support the project. Let’s do our work together for the people,” Tuel Barangay Captain Gabriel L. Toribio said.
“As a community volunteer, kaya kong hikayatin ang ibang tao para sa tulung-tulong na trabaho. Pag mas marami, mas maganda ang output. Kung mag-isa ka lang na gagalaw, hindi mo ma-aachieve ang goal mo. As a barangay treasurer naman, kaya kong i-promote ang accountability sa mga magagamit na finances, bantayan ang tamang paggamit ng pondo para sa proyekto, at i-share ang kaalaman tungkol sa proseso ng maayos na paggamit ng pondo. (As a community volunteer, I can encourage other people to work together. If there aremore volunteers, the output is better. If you work alone, you cannot achieve your goal. As a barangay treasurer, I can promote accountability in the use of finances, keep watch on the right use of funds for the project, and share my knowledge on the right process of using funds),” Barangay Basil Treasurer Jenilyn W. Fianza shares her commitment to the program.
The municipality of Tublay is set to proceed to the Community Planning and Proposal Preparation and Approval stage of the Program where the community will be assisted by the (???) in the planning and proposal making based on their identified community needs. This is the 2nd stage of the Community Empowerment Activity Cycle (CEAC) being followed by the KALAHI CIDSS- NCDDP. CEAC is a 5-stage cycle which involves the community in local planning, budgeting, implementing, and monitoring of the program.