Tacloban City – To position the KALAHI-CIDSS Project in their municipalities, the beneficiary municipalities of Samar Province are set to hold their respective Municipal Launch and Project Orientation this month.

According to DSWD Assistant Regional Director Jaime Eclavea, the municipality of Tagapul-an is the first town to have its Project launch and orientation on July 19, 2011.

This will be followed by San Sebastian on July 20 and Matuguinao on July 25. Gandara town will soon follow on the 27^th. Motiong will have theirs on July 26 while Daram, Sto. Niño and Talalora have scheduled theirs on July 28. As of this report, San Jose de Buan municipality is yet to schedule their Project Launch and orientation, also this month.

The municipal orientation is the first step in the Community Enhanced Activity Cycle that aims to provide a comprehensive briefing about the Project. This is also the venue to inform the municipal officials, Municipal Development Council, and other stakeholders of rights and obligations of all Project participants.

The output of the activity are the signed Memorandum of Agreement between the Regional Project Management Team and the Municipal LGU, official pronouncement expressing the willingness of the municipal government to participate in and support the DSWD spearheaded KALAHI-CIDSS Project, and written directive from the mayor creating or reactivating the Municipal Inter-Agency Committee, among others.

The implementation of the Project in 9 Samar municipalities is funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an independent US funding agency.