After the prescribed three years of KALAHI-CIDSS Project implementation in Laoang, Northern Samar, the municipality firmed up its commitment to adopt the KALAHI-CIDSS principles and processes with the passing and approval of Ordinance No. 130, S. 2010.
People’s Choice to Prevail
The Ordinance created the Municipal Coordinating Team of the Municipal Community Driven Center as an institutional mechanism to ensure the adoption and sustainability of the completed KALAHI-CIDSS sub-projects. The Ordinance implicitly states that the Project principles and processes will be integrated into the Municipal Local Government Development and Planning framework.
By adopting the processes and principles of transparency and accountability inherent in the KALAHI-CIDSS Community Empowerment Activity Cycle, the people will continue to identify problems in their respective barangays that need immediate solutions and propose solutions to problems and appropriate funds where it is badly needed considering that there are 56 barangays in the municipality. The people’s selected volunteers will take the lead to implement and manage sub-projects and see to the operations and maintenance of completed structures.
The Ordinance took effect June 30, 2010 fifteen days after the regular June 15 session of the Sangguniang Bayan convened by Vice-Mayor Fred Daenaneas. The legislation was duly approved by Mayor Mendoza-Ong, during the session.
MCT and Projects’ Funding
Overseeing the processes and the volunteers is the said Municipal Coordinating Team under the direct supervision of Mayor Mendoza-Ong. The team is composed of one Municipal Area Coordinator, one Municipal Community Driven Development Specialist, one Technical Assistant, one Municipal Finance Analyst, and two Municipal Roving Bookkeepers. The team is supported by an administrative staff, utility worker, and one draftsman.
The funding for the maintenance and operations of the Municipal Coordinating Team was drawn from the twenty percent Economic Development Fund. Available savings from the General Fund will also be tapped for the team’s operations.
Meanwhile, in anticipation of future development projects, Mayor Mendoza-Ong is negotiating with the Development Bank of the Philippines, Municipal Development Fund Office, PDAF allocation of Rep. Emil Ong, from senators and Party List Representatives, small embassy funds, and funding networks of Civil Society Organizations – for funds to finance development projects in the barangays.
Laoang is a Phase 4 KALAHI-CIDSS municipality, which completed 99 sub-projects at the cost of P64,925,500. The KALAHI-CIDSS Project was implemented here in 2006 to 2009.