LEYTE, Philippines – An additional AU$12.2 million grant was extended by the Australian Government to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the construction of early childhood care facilities in the country.
Under the grant, a total of 468 classrooms and day care centers will be constructed by the DSWD through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services-National Community-Driven Development Program (KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP).
KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP is the expanded version of the Kalahi-CIDSS, piloted by the national government in 2002 and launched in 2003 to alleviate poverty in poor rural communities using the community-driven development (CDD) approach.
CDD focuses on empowering and building up the capacities of citizens and local government units so they will be able to lift their own communities out of poverty, giving them the opportunity to make informed decisions on locally identified options for development and manage resources to implement sub-projects that address the needs they have identified.
Approximately 117 of the target classrooms and day care centers will be constructed in ‘Yolanda’-affected areas.
DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Deputy Secretary Ewen McDonald visited this town on Wednesday where they led the launching and groundbreaking ceremonies for projects funded by the grant.
Sec. Soliman thanked the Australian Government for the additional aid which is a big help in the rehabilitation efforts in ‘Yolanda’-hit municipalities.
She urged the townsfolk to work together in building the educational facilities, citing the urgency to bring schoolchildren to classrooms and no longer stay in tents.
For his part, Dep. Sec. McDonald said, “We are committed to our strong partnership with DSWD because Australia recognizes the potential of CDD to effectively alleviate poverty.”
Sec. Soliman stated that aside from the AU$12.2 million additional grant, the Australian Government financed the construction of 626 day care centers and classrooms in communities covered by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the country’s conditional cash transfer program, worth US$10 million in 2012.
