Roxas highlights ‘power of community’ in disaster response, recovery

Press Release
June 24, 2014

QUEZON CITY – Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas today underscored the power of community working together as a people in responding to natural calamities such as typhoon Yolanda.

Roxas, vice chairman for preparedness of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the nation was dealt with the hardest blow when Yolanda, strongest storm to ever make landfall in history, more than seven months ago on November 8, 2013.

“We reeled from its impact, staggered at its effect, but we never fell,” says Roxas.

Roxas, who delivered the keynote address during the launch of the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services – National Community-Driven Development Program (KC-NCDDP) in Ormoc City on Monday challenged various stakeholders to continue working together as they have shown in the past seven months after Yolanda.

The program was highlighted by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on World-Bank - Asian Development Bank Partnership for the KC-NDCCP led by WB Country Director Motoo Konishi and ADB Country Director Richard Bolt.

“The nation and the Filipino people were the cornerstone of response and recovery,” he said. Adding that while there were tremendous outpouring of aid from the international community the people are thankful for, he said “It was the people who made quick response and recovery possible, and which prevented further deterioration of conditions on the ground.”

Launched by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the KC-NCDDP scales up the program which aim to empower communities in targeted municipalities, improve access to services and to participate in a more inclusive local planning, budgeting and implementation.

Specifically, the program aims to strengthen community groups and barangay level institutions to better identify and articulate development needs, and manage public resources, financing priority small-scale community sub-projects, and enhancing the capacity of municipal-level government to partner with barangays in responding to priority development needs; and to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency.

The DILG, which serves as project management of the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Process (GPBP) in partnership with various national and local government agencies, people’s organizations (POs) and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) is encouraging a broader civil society participation in governance by identifying projects and programs that they believe would matters most for their communities.

This year, the national government has allotted P20 billion for various anti-poverty projects to be implemented across the country. The projects and programs were earlier identified by POs, NGOs and community-based groups together with local government units (LGUs) during budgeting processes last year.

“The Yolanda response showed us the power of community. Beyond just a place where people live, ‘community’ during Yolanda meant ‘people who had, and lived through the same experience finding common unity of purpose and resolve to respond,’” he stressed.

According to the DILG chief, the success of Kalahi-CIDSS over the past 12 years showed that a united people, provided with full government support, can and do accomplish miracles.

The DILG chief said that the up-scaling of the program through the KC-NCDDP demonstrate the Aquino administration’s commitment to fulfill its social contract with the people, anchored on Pres. Aquino’s “Kayo ang Boss” policy.