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L-I GOP-WB Sign US$ I OOM Loan Agreement For Gov't Anti-Poverty Program The project will empower communities to Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare U he Government of the Philippines (GOP) access better services from local governments; and Development, which will implement and the World Bank recently signed a loan improve local governance by strengthening the project. agreement for the US$100-million loan for formal and informal institutions to become More than 5,300 barangays in 193 the KALAHI-Comprehensive and Integrated more inclusive, accountable, and effective; muicipalities n 40 of the poorest provices Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI- and provide resources for community nalitie are te torest province CIDSS) Project. investment programs, which will be designed, nationwide are expected to benefit from the KALAHI, which stands for Kapit-Bisig implemented, and managed by local project. These will be mostly in the rural Laban sa Kahirapan or "linking hands in communities. the fight against poverty," is the national "The Bank's strategy for the Philippines is The KALAHI Program aims to redistribute anti-poverry program of the Philippine built on twin pillars-promoting growth physical and resource assets to the poor, government. CIDSS is one of the and enabling people, especially the poor, to improve access to basic edulcation, health government's most successful anti-poverty participate fully in development," Country a electricity, boost activities n agrculture and programs Director Robert Vance Pulley said The eles and actviteseed cultur and The loan agreement for the project, approved project supports the second pillar by giving and small businesses of the poor, strengthen in September by the WB Board of Executive influence over decisions and resources to polincal participanon and cultural expression Directors, was signed by Finance Secretary local communities. i poor communities; and reduce the Isidro Camacho and WB Country Director "The project articulates the principles of vulnerability of the poor to the effects of Robert Vance Pulley empowerme'nt where people create and build economic shocks and disasters. The KALAHI-CIDSS Project will help the their own future," said Secretary Corazon (07 2 government strengthen the capacity of local communities to design, implement and manage development projects such as roads and bridges, village schools, clinics, water supply and sanitation facilities. ' , "The project will promote good governance, r la"o . transparency, participation with local level decision making, and increased A accountability as communities gain hands- x on experience in managing projects," said <- 4 ' Cyprian Fisiy, World Bank Task Team Leader ir for the project. 7 2 _ L (From left) Bhuivan Bhatinagar, WB Senior Social Scientist, WB Country Director Robert Vanice Pulley, Finance Secretary Isidro Camacho, and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman *WB-Govt Sign Loan for SEMP lI p2 e Meet the Bank's New Staff p6-7 In This Issue New Look for RPWebsite p3 Seminar on KDC p7 Updates on WB Prolects p4-5 *World Development Report 2003 p8  c - WB-Gov't Sign Loan Agreement for Social Expenditure Management Project More Textbooks and Classrooms for Schools, Drugs for Health Programs The Philippine government can provide more textbooks and classrooms for school children and adequate medicine in barangay - health centers for the poor, with the approval of the US$ 100 million loan for the Second -_'-__ Social ExpendituLre Maniagement Project - (SEMP II) 1 _ "The project clearly reflects the Bank's focus on improving the quality and efficiency of v basic education, public health, and social services for the poor in the Philippines," said _ WB Country Director Robert Vance Pulley, - - who signed the loan agreement with Finance Secretary lsidio Camacho - - - -- "With thie government's tight fiscal condition, efficienciy and effectiveness of public sector resulting in savings of US$20 million for the the loani is timely as it seeks to support and agencies through strengthened procurement government protect the national btidget for sociai services," and finiancial management, improved allocation As of Jtly 2002, the first SEMP built 155 new and use of resources, improvement in the work classrooms, repaired 13,400 classrooms, he added ' relevant aeencres a3id itacreased environment of relevant agences, and icreased delivered 103,000 desks and chairs to schools, The loan agreement for SEMP 11 was signed transparency, accotintability and iesponsiveness and trained 17,500 teachers recently by the government and the World through public expenditure tracking Bank SEMP 11 aims to help the government The project will be implemented by the Moreover, the project helped nearly 700,000 improve the delivery of basic education, public Deprtments of Edcain entelfare families in 6,000 barangays It also helped the health, and social services for the poor Department, of Puc Work e and government operate and maintain residential In particular, the project will help the Highways, under the oversight and support of and community-based centers, which served Fmore than 28,600 personis and helped 430,000 government increase the availability of the Department of Btidget and Management families who were victims of calamities, as well textbooks, build new classrooms, anid provide SEMP 11 btlilds on the achievements of the as 77,000 distressed and disadvantaged persons drugs for public health programs It will also first SEMP, wvhich was also supported by the support barangay-centered activities for social Bank with US$ I 00-million loan The first Ways to improve the quality and services in poor municipalities SEMP, for instance, helped improve the efficiency of providing basic Furthermore, SEMP 11 aims to enhance the procurement of textbooks, desks and chairs, social services for the poor * Improve planning, procurement and trackinig for key inputs such as textbooks and drugs l) I GOP-WB Sign LoanAgreementforAnti-Poverty Program * Continue and institutionalize the medium- It will also introduce the following innovations-an open menu for selection of project activities, and long-term program for systems and selection of proposals through an inter-barangay competitive forum, community management of process improvements begun in SEMP I project funds, including community contracting, and deepening of facilitation and broadening m Cover additional areas expensditure project ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~managemenit improvemenit suich as teacher of transparency requirements deploymnent and drug regulatory systems CIDSS is one of the social services progranms being supported by the Bank's First Social Expenditure StIpport the government and civil society in Management Project (SEMP I) It aims to reduce the unmet minimum basic nceds of poor families developing transparenicy and aCeCointability Management Project (SEMP I) It aims to t~~~~~~~~~hrough budget analysis, public expenditure such as health, food and nutrition, clothing, shelter, water and sanitation, income and livelihood tracking, and client feedback After eight years of implementation, CIDSS now covers 1,084 municipalities and 3,893 barangays 5-r SEslP Pr1y,PJPif, 2  WBNews WB RP'sWebsite Has New Look and Feel - Philippines ___a ,d.,,,. ,7o ,.,S4l%97 pSpptO*, |007 r - Unveiled during the launch of the L2' vo _ AKnowledge/or Development Center (KD C), IjJ-- ; !_ 1l 1 1If fafrf7ttwRa - the website has been revamped to make it I. _bgnOS nno more user-friendly. .flLJ2L L Li f;.4