KAPATAGAN, Lanao del Norte — At least 19,429 villagers coming from the nine far-flung villages of Lanao del Norte were jubilant after the government’s poverty alleviation  program, the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) – Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (KKB) expansion project was launched here Tuesday.

At least 5,006 direct household beneficiaries from the nine remote villages, like Balili, Curvada, Buenavista, Butadon, Sta. Cruz, La Libertad, Malinas, Poblacion, and Bel-is, participated during the launching of the program here.

The launching was personally led by Lanao del Norte Gov. Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo, Kapatagan Mayor Benjie Y. Baguio, Region 10 office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Director Araceli F. Solamillo, and other top regional, provincial, and municipal officials.

The launching of the different projects in the said villages started on Tuesday during a week-long series of activities.

These projects include a water system level 2, farm-to-market roads, construction of solar drier with warehouse and rice mill, and construction of a drainage canal.

The DSWD released P14, 850,000 for the said projects in the nine villages while the provincial and municipal governments also poured in some P7,605,766 as their local counter-part contribution for the implementation of the projects.

The expanded KALAHI-CIDSS – KKB project trains villagers in project planning, technical design, financial management and procurement, thus building a cadre of future capable leaders at the local level, said Dimaporo.

It was learned that Lanao del Norte was identified as one of the best implementer of the KALAHI-CIDSS program throughout the country.