World Bank-funded livelihood program launched in Cavite

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launched a World Bank-funded livelihood program in Rosario, Cavite the other day.

To formalize the tie-up, DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman and Rosario Mayor Jose Ricafrente signed a memorandum of agreement for the implementation of the Improving Livelihood Opportunities for Vulnerable Urban Communities project, which is under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS).

They have selected three communities in Barangay Ligtong 3 in Rosario town as pilot sites for the program.

The WB-Japan Social Development Fund would allocate $28,000 or about P1.2 million for each of the three communities.

The project covers the implementation of labor-intensive, small-scale development projects using an emergency employment scheme adapted from the DSWD’s cash-for-work program, livelihood skills training for job placements, and community enterprises through business advisory services to be provided by qualified non-government organizations. 

KALAHI-CIDSS is the government’s poverty alleviation project implemented by the DSWD with financial support from the WB.

Using the successful community-driven development (CDD) approach that provides opportunities for communities to participate in local governance, the project launched in Rosario town aims to improve employment and livelihood opportunities for the beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries were selected based on data gathered by the National Household Targeting System on Poverty Reduction.

“With the success of KALAHI-CIDSS in rural areas, we are now looking into replicating the program’s time-tested CDD approach to address the incidence of poverty in urban areas,” Soliman said.

KALAHI-CIDSS covers 4,229 poorest barangays nationwide. It aims to empower communities, improve local governance, and reduce poverty by implementing barangay-level projects that respond to the needs identified by poor communities.