IT is undeniable that many Filipinos still lack access to government aid.
This issue is particularly prevalent among those living in remote rural areas, where residents lack access to basic necessities such as water, electricity, and infrastructure.
The DSWD’s mandate is to aid impoverished Filipinos, and the KALAHI-CIDSS program is one of its key initiatives.
Under this program, small and impoverished municipalities receive assistance.
“The community themselves identify their needs and the projects they require. For example, if they identify a lack of potable water, their proposal would be a water system, school buildings, roads, etc,” according to Atty. Bernadette Aquino Mapue-Joaquin, National Program Manager, KALAHI-CIDSS.
The DSWD empowers communities to plan, budget, and implement projects that will benefit them.
The KALAHI-CIDSS program allocates around P5 million per community, sourced from both foreign and local funds.
Beneficiaries include fishermen and farmers who receive aid for irrigation systems, post-harvest facilities, farm-to-market roads, and more.
However, Atty. Bernadette Aquino Mapue-Joaquin acknowledges that funding is insufficient to expand the program further.
“This is the reason why KALAHI sometimes experiences stability and continuity issues because we have issues there. Because there are years when our budget is significant due to ongoing grants or loans or allocations. There are years when it’s over or about to end, and our allocation is limited. For example, last year the budget of KALAHI-CIDSS was P16 billion, this year our budget is not more than P7 billion or more than half has been reduced, and then next year… is only P500 million,” Joaquin added.
A reduction in funding could prevent the program from expanding to more impoverished communities.
According to DSWD data, over 2.5 million community volunteers have been assisted by the program.
Nearly 800,000 rural women have gained employment, and more than 22 million families have benefited from it.
Additionally, 2.1 million workers have received wages through the program, and over 83,000 sub-projects have been completed and are currently in use.
Despite two decades of implementation, it remains unclear why Congress has not yet enacted the program.
Atty. Bernadette Mapue-Joaquin emphasizes that this request has been made repeatedly.
“To our legislators, please enact this program and help us continue providing assistance to those in need,” Joaquin stated.
