Ten Caraga LGUs sign MOA on Kalahi-Cidss bottom-up budgeting

By Johny S. Natad

BUTUAN CITY, July 24 (PIA) – Ten local government units (LGUs) in the region have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the implementation of Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-Cidss) Projects Bottom-up Budgeting (KC-BuB).

The LGUs signed the MOA with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during the Regional Launching for Local Empowerment and Development towards Good Governance (LEadGov) and KC-BuB Projects on July 23.

Mayors and representatives from the cities of Butuan, Cabadbaran, Surigao, and Bislig, and the municipalities of Basilisa in Dinagat Islands, Jabonga in Agusan del Norte, Loreto in Agusan del Sur, Tagbina and Barobo in Surigao del Sur, and Gigaquit in Surigao del Norte have signed the MOA with the DSWD Caraga Regional Director Minda Brigoli and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga Regional Director Lilibeth Famacion.

Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID) Deputy Coordinator General Norberto Gomez who witnessed the ceremonial signing as part of the donor partners of the project said that the “beauty of the project is the presence of participation aspect of partners in coming up priority projects which they believed can provide the needs of the communities”.

"We recognized the importance of partnership, working together for the welfare of marginalized sector," Gomez added.

Regional Community Infrastructure Specialist of DSWD Caraga Engr. Macrino Sumagang bared that the KC-BuP funds are already available in the regional office to fund the approved project proposals submitted by the covered LGUs.

“Right now we are waiting for the project proposals and other attached documents needed from LGUs for BuB funding support. We are given until November 2013 to completely process all our sub-projects for 2013 BuB,” Macrino emphasized.

Macrino added that the KC-BuB project approval will be made at the regional level to facilitate the immediate implementation of the project. Any approved KC-BuB project will be implemented in the covered LGUs who have been implementing the Kalahi-Cidss like the municipalities of Jabonga and Tagbina and non- Kalahi-Cidss areas being identified to be recipient of the KC-BuB project based on the criteria set by the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) entered into by the DSWD, DILG, and National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC). (FEA/PIA-Caraga)