Kalahi-CIDSS fund allots over P298M for COVID-19 response in Central Visayas

The Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) fund of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) has allocated P298.1 million for COVID-19 response program for Central Visayas as it shifted to the Disaster Response Operations Procedure (DROP) due to the pandemic.

 According to DSWD-7 regional information officer Leah Quintana that the DROP is a procedure of Kalahi-CIDSS used in responding to the effect of disasters and pandemic, in this case, novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).   On March 7, 2020, the Philippines declared the first local transmission and the entire country was under code red sublevel 1.

With this, the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS shifted its project from the regular Community Empowerment Activity Cycle (CEAC) mode to DROP which responds to the basic needs of the implementing municipalities on COVID-19, Quintana explained.

 

“The Kalahi-CIDSS aims to provide funds for the 731 sub-projects identified by the 27 KC municipalities in Central Visayas as their priority needs in responding to the COVID-19 crisis,” Quintana added. 

She went on that some of these sub-projects to be funded by Kalahi-CIDSS include isolation centers, purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE), purchase of telecommunication equipment, and implementation of the cash for work scheme.

Kalahi-CIDSS Central Visayas is looking forward to another round of additional funding for 2021-2023 as it continues to promote Community-Driven Development (CDD) in its target municipalities, Quintana said.