Aklan, 2 towns first to sign MOA for MCC's anti-poverty projects

MANILA, Philippines - The province of Aklan and the municipalities of Libacao and Madalag recently signed two separate memoranda of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the implementation of anti-poverty projects under its Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) using the $120-million grant from Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC).

One MOA was signed by Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez, Libacao Mayor Charito Navarosa and DSWD-Region 6 director Minda Brigoli, and another was signed by Marquez, Brigoli and Madalag Mayor Rex Gubatina.

MCC deputy country resident director John Polk and Ma. Victoria Añonuevo, managing director and chief executive officer of the Millennium Challenge Account-Philippines (MCA-P), witnessed the signing.

Libacao and Madalag are two of the 19 guaranteed municipalities all over the Philippines that will receive grants from MCC through the KALAHI-CIDSS project starting this year.

For its first cycle this year, Libacao will get P11.25 million for its 25 barangays, while Madalag will get P10.8 million for its 24 barangays.

The two municipalities have three cycles (or three years) to implement KALAHI-CIDSS projects under the supervision of the DSWD and MCA-P.

Five other municipalities were selected to receive MCC grants starting 2012, namely Ibajay, New Washington, Makato, Batan and Tangalan.

Marquez said the MCC support “is the key to unlock the chains of poverty in Aklan and will help bridge the gap between the rich and the poor” in the province.

The provincial government has set aside counterpart funds for Libacao and Madalag towns, which, on the other hand, will put up their counterpart funds in the form of labor or in kind.

Navarosa and Gubatina welcomed the grants, saying these “will give inspiration and hope to the people, especially those who live in the uplands.”

Añonuevo said the MOA signing was “one big step toward reducing poverty in the two municipalities and shows the strong cooperation between and among the local governments and their people.”

She called on Aklanons “to work together to fulfill their dream of poverty reduction through sustainable economic growth.”

Aside from community sub-projects, the grant will also finance activities for capacity building and institutional support as well as for monitoring and evaluation.

Sub-projects will be identified through a participatory, transparent and open process of community prioritization. Barangay assemblies and consultations with non-government, civil society and people’s organizations will be held to identify and prioritize infrastructure sub-projects that will be implemented in the communities.

Polk said, “Every burden is lighter when shared, and while the communities themselves will be doing the heavy lifting, we hope our participation can provide a little lift in the effort to promote sustainable, inclusive growth in the Philippines.”

Brigoli said the DSWD is committed to helping achieve the goal of the Aquino administration to reduce the number of Filipinos living below the poverty line.

She said KALAHI-CIDSS is just one of the DSWD’s anti-poverty reduction programs in Aklan.

Brigoli swore into office members of the Provincial Inter-Agency Committee, chaired by Marquez, to provide technical support to the local government units in project preparation, implementation and monitoring.