The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the KapitBisig Laban saKahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), the World Bank (WB), Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) and the Cities of Muntinlupa and Malabon signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) recently for the implementation of a project that will generate employment and livelihood in 47 poor communities in the cities of Malabon and Muntinlupa.
DSWD–NCR Regional Director Ma. Alicia S. Bonoan said the JSDF-Livelihood Opportunities for Vulnerable Urban Communities (JSDF-LVUC) project is a complementary project of DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS or the KapitBisig Laban saKahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services which will bring benefits to 10 barangays with 24 communities from Malabon City and 23 communities from six (6) barangays from Muntinlupa City.
The LVUC will use the Community Driven and Development (CDD) approach which has been tested and proven effective in overcoming extreme poverty in the country’s poorest of the poor provinces.
Mayor Antolin Oreta of Malabon City expressed his full support in the implementation of the program and acknowledged the benefits that it will bring to his poor constituents.
City Social Welfare and Development Head, Annalyn Mercado, who spoke in behalf of Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi also thanked the DSWD for bringing another project that will improve the lives of the poor.
Muntinlupa City Lone District Congressman Rodolfo Biazon, also gave his full support to the project as it reaches the marginalized by addressing their concerns on livelihood, employment and relocation. He thanked the DSWD for including the six (6) barangays of the city in the project implementation and appealed for inclusion of the two more marginalized barangays of the city.
DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano–Soliman, in her response, acknowledged the important roles of barangay chairpersons and Muntinlupa and Malabon LGUs and challenged them to share their decision making power with members of the community in deciding and identifying responsive solutions to the needs and problems of the community.
‘Ang prosesong ito ay alinsunod din sa panuntunan ni Pangulong Aquino na ang taong–bayan ang boss, dahil ang kaunlaran ng mga mahihirap na mamamayan ay kaunlaran din ng ating bansa,’ said Secretary Soliman.
She also enjoined the barangay chairpersons and LGU officials to help alleviate the plight of the poor by encouraging them to be engaged in productive activities to improve their state well-being.
Under the JSDF–LVUC, each identified poor community is entitled to P1M worth of community projects using an emergency employment scheme adapted from the DSWD cash-for-work program, livelihood skills training for job placements and establishment of community enterprise. Its implementation shall be supervised by the partner Non–Government Organization (NGO) which is the Foundation for Development Alternatives, Inc.