Dumaguete has been selected an additional beneficiary of the anti-poverty program funded by the United States Millennium Challenge Corp.
More than 300 local government units from 26 provinces across the country are expected to participate in selection events for a chance to be new beneficiaries in the scaled-up implementation of a Philippine government anti-poverty program funded by MCC, US Embassy Information Officer Yolanda De Guzman said.
The additional LGU-beneficiaries are scheduled to meet over the next six weeks for the selection-conference.
De Guzman said 103 municipalities will be chosen to join an additional 82 municipalities already
selected to receive MCC grant funding for thousands of community-level infrastructure and social services projects that will benefit millions of Filipinos.
MCC and the Philippine Government entered into a $434-million poverty reduction compact in September 2010.
De Guzman explained the grant agreement includes $120 million to fund the expansion of the Philippine government’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan — Comprehensive & Integrated Delivery of Social Services program, a community-driven development program aimed at empowering communities to identify and implement development projects to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.
A total of 314 municipalities with high incidence of poverty had been identified as eligible to compete for being added to the current number of municipalities assisted by the KALAHI-CIDSS program.
The 103 new beneficiary municipalities, to be determined by drawing of lots, will receive grants from MCC to implement their anti-poverty projects.
From May 23 to June June 30, Washington-based HGM Management Technologies and its Philippine counterpart, the Associated Resource and Management Development Inc., will assist the Department of the Social Welfare & Development in conducting information campaigns among eligible provinces and municipalities and supervising the drawing of lots to identify the new beneficiaries.
Eligible municipalities have been grouped in clusters that will attend one-day conferences in these provincial capitals: Kalibo, Guimaras, Dumaguete, Tacloban, Calapan, Naga, Masbate, Puerto Princesa, Bangued, Pagadian, Surigao, and Davao.
Along with congressmen, governors, DSWD officials, and representatives of MCC, MCA-Philippines, and the World Bank, an auditor will witness the drawing of lots to ensure transparency and fairness. (PIA NegOr/JCT)
