A total of 58 municipalities from Eastern Visayas will be selected for the implementation of  Kalahi-CIDSS’ (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services) MAKILAHOK Project this year.

MAKILAHOK also known as Participatory Local Governance: Barangay Development Planning and Management Capacity Enhancement Initiative is a project to be implemented under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s empowerment program in collaboration with DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) and ADB (Asian Development Bank).

Said project which aims to systematize guidelines on barangay development planning and management also targets to strengthen local capacities on participatory governance to promote meaningful participation of citizens in local government affairs and by way of institutionalizing the Community-Driven Development approach at the local level.

Qualified municipalities will be selected based on their Kalahi-CIDSS implementation performance, completion of sub-projects and LGU’s readiness to undergo a five-module capacity training across all barangays.

The capacity enhancement initiative with a total budget of Php 40 million, will cover five modules which will focus on Barangay Development Planning and Management (BDPM) and CDD-Supporting Thematic Modules such as Participatory Situational Analysis, Community Procurement, Community Finance,  and Community Monitoring; components which were being practice in Kalahi-CIDSS implementation.

“This new project with DILG and ADB will help DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS intensify our policy advocacy on CDD institutionalization by empowering communities through  participatory local governance”, Regional Director Restituto Macuto explained.

The full MAKILAHOK Roll-out will commence in June 2018.