Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____ 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JURDIN JESUS M. ROMUALDO 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
“Those who have less in life should have more in law.” - President Ramon Magsaysay 
Since 2003, the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach has been implemented and 
championed by the Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan - Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of 
Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development (DSWD).  
The CDD approach is an internationally recognized empowerment strategy that relies on 
community participation to achieve significant and lasting development. It treats citizens as 
partners in the development process by allowing community members to identify and prioritize 
community issues and problems. Further, CDD involves the community in the implementation, 
management, and operation and maintenance of community-identified solutions to their prioritized 
problems. Through this approach, communities are empowered to take part and claim ownership 
of the government’s community-based programs, activities, and projects. (PAPs). 
By institutionalizing the CDD approach, we can give the people more power to chart their own 
paths, in line with the true intent and spirit of devolution. CDD institutionalization will provide an 
enabling policy to achieve genuine community empowerment by enhancing capacities for 
community participation especially in poor, vulnerable, disadvantaged, and marginalized 
communities.  
CDD institutionalization also provides a national strategy and mechanism to ensure inclusive and 
sustainable growth by increasing community participation and improving government 
transparency and accountability especially in the implementation of community-based PAPs.  
In the context of devolution, CDD institutionalization reinforces the provisions of the Local 
Government Code. Currently, community participation in local government is limited to 
representation in local development councils and local special bodies. As a consequence, people 
who are not members of civil society organizations, the academe, or other people’s organizations 
are not given representation.  
The CDD approach remedies this by offering ready and available technologies that, through 
decades of implementation, have proven effective in stirring active and long-lasting citizen 
participation that leads to local development.  
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CDD’s principles of participation, transparency, and accountability has a positive relationship with 
poverty alleviation and inclusive and sustainable growth.   
Through the CDD approach, KALAHI-CIDSS and the DSWD improved access to basic social 
services in some of the poorest and most marginalized communities in the country. Through 
community participation, high-quality infrastructures were established within or below planned 
costs. As an added benefit, CDD also improved the capabilities of community members and 
volunteers as their involvement required training on sound financial management and 
procurement.  
By institutionalizing the CDD approach to ensure inclusive growth and social protection, the 
government can build on and perpetuate the gains of CDD in local development and nation-
building.  
For all the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____ 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JURDIN JESUS M. ROMUALDO 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT APPROACH 
AS A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND SOCIAL 
PROTECTION AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SEC. 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Community-Driven Development 
1 
(CDD) Approach Institutionalization Act.”
2 
SEC. 2.  Declaration of Policies.  – It is the policy of the State to uplift the standard of 
3 
living and quality of life of the poor and provide them with sustained opportunities for growth and 
4 
development.  The State also recognizes that the right of the people and their organizations to 
5 
effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political, and economic decision-
6 
making shall not be abridged. The State shall, by law, facilitate the establishment of adequate 
7 
consultation mechanisms. 
8 
Towards this end, and in pursuit of good governance, sustainable and inclusive growth, 
9 
and poverty reduction, the State shall enact programs that provide opportunities for community 
10 
members particularly the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized to effectively participate in 
11 
designing, planning, budgeting, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating community programs, 
12 
activities, and projects. 
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Further, the State shall provide capability building opportunities for local government 
1 
units, civil society organizations, and communities to ensure the proper use of the CDD approach 
2 
in implementing local programs, projects, and activities. 
3 
SEC. 3.  Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
4 
(a)           Basic sectors refer to the disadvantaged sectors of Philippine society including 
5 
farmer-peasants, fisherfolk, workers in the formal sector including migrant workers, workers in 
6 
the informal sector, indigenous peoples and cultural communities, women, persons with disability, 
7 
senior citizens, victims of calamities and disasters, youth and students, children, urban poor, and 
8 
members of cooperatives; 
9 
(b)           Community-based programs refer to programs, activities, or projects that are 
10 
designed, planned, organized and implemented locally by community members or groups to 
11 
address community-identified plans and needs; 
12 
(c)           Community-driven development (CDD) refers to an approach that gives control 
13 
over the development process, decision-making, and resources to community members or groups 
14 
and treats people as assets and partners in the development process while building on their 
15 
institutions and resources; and  
16 
(d)           Community empowerment refers to a process of enabling groups to increase 
17 
control over the factors and decisions that shape their lives, including their assets and attributes, 
18 
partners, networks, and voice.  
19 
  
20 
SEC. 4.  Elements of CDD. – The CDD approach, through the principles of participation, 
21 
transparency, and accountability, has the following elements:  
22 
(a) Community focus wherein programs or projects put primacy on a group of people living 
23 
in a particular locality or geographical area such as a barangay, ancestral domain, or specific 
24 
subsets thereof, where interventions are implemented;  
25 
(b) Participatory planning wherein the process directly involves the community members, 
26 
leaders, and other stakeholders in diagnosing local problems and designing a course of action to 
27 
resolve those problems, and aims to harmonize views among all of its participants and provide 
28 
opportunities for the engagement especially of the marginalized groups;  
29 
  
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(c) Community control of resources wherein the utilization and management of the 
1 
resources by the community members or groups are based on community-identified plans and 
2 
needs;   
3 
(d) Community-managed implementation wherein the execution, monitoring, and contract 
4 
management of community-identified projects are performed by community members or groups, 
5 
with assistance from the local government units (LGUs) and other local partners; and  
6 
(e) Participatory monitoring and evaluation wherein the process through which members 
7 
at various levels of the community engage in monitoring and evaluating a program or policy, share 
8 
control over the content, the process and the results of the monitoring and evaluation activity, and 
9 
participate in identifying and making corrective actions.  
10 
(f) Operation and Maintenance, and Sustainability wherein the community participates in 
11 
the operation and maintenance of the community-identified project, ensuring sustainability not 
12 
only of the project itself but also of the elements and principles of the CDD approach 
13 
  
14 
SEC. 5.  Institutionalization of the CDD Approach.  – National government agencies 
15 
(NGAs) and departments, including their attached agencies, offices, bureaus, other government 
16 
instrumentalities, and LGUs shall adopt the CDD approach in their community-based programs 
17 
to promote participation and empowerment of poor, vulnerable, disadvantaged, and marginalized 
18 
groups within communities. 
19 
SEC. 6.  Operationalization of the CDD Approach. – NGAs and LGUs in community-
20 
based programs shall be responsible for:  
21 
(a) Developing policies for enhancing participatory governance practices, tapping 
22 
community organizations particularly the basic sectors, and responding to community needs;  
23 
(b)  Providing information on government intervention, technical assistance and support 
24 
to partner communities for more effective community-driven planning and implementation; 
25 
(c)  Enabling community members to meaningfully participate in the whole process;  
26 
  
(d)  Ensuring that community members are prioritized, to the extent possible, in receiving 
27 
employment opportunities brought about by project implementation at the communities; 
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(e)  Ensuring that identified community priorities are sufficiently funded;  
1 
(f)   Ensuring participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) as partners in organizing 
2 
and strengthening communities, and implementing community-based programs, activities, and 
3 
projects (PAPs); and 
4 
(g) Creating a Community-Driven Development team that shall ensure full 
5 
operationalization of the CDD approach within their respective agencies and LGUs.  
6 
SEC. 7. Role of Civil Society Organizations and the Academe. – Accredited CSOs and 
7 
academic institutions are encouraged to participate in community activities, specifically by: 
8 
(a)  Facilitating the community empowerment processes; 
9 
(b) Providing continuous capability building and technology transfer to LGUs and 
10 
communities;   
11 
(c) Conducting third party monitoring and evaluation of capability building and 
12 
empowerment of LGUs and communities; and 
13 
(d)  Providing additional funding or collaborating with partners or donors to implement 
14 
capacity building and empowerment of LGUs and communities. 
15 
For purposes of this section, the CDD community of practice refers to a community of 
16 
CDD practitioners composed of agencies, NGOs, academic and research institutions, and 
17 
individuals, that share the commitment and passion for CDD, and together strive to advance its 
18 
practice through regular and purposive interaction. 
19 
SEC. 8. Incentives. – The exemplary use of the CDD approach by NGAs and LGUs shall 
20 
be considered as a significant criterion for the recognition given to LGUs such as the Seal of Good 
21 
Local Governance by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other 
22 
similar awards and recognitions granted by NGAs. 
23 
  
24 
SEC. 9.  Advisory Council. – An Advisory Council on CDD Institutionalization is created 
25 
to develop policies relative to the implementation of this Act. 
26 
The Advisory Council is composed of the following: 
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(a)           Secretary of Social Welfare and Development, as chairperson;  
1 
(b)           Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, as co-chairperson;  
2 
(c)           Representatives from the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), National 
3 
Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), 
4 
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Budget and 
5 
Management (DBM), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), 
6 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Health (DOH), 
7 
Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Human Settlements and Urban 
8 
Development (DHSUD); and 
9 
 
(d) 
Presidents of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and League of 
10 
Municipalities of the Philippines. 
11 
The representatives include the secretaries of the agencies as the officially designated 
12 
permanent members and designated undersecretaries as alternate representatives.   
13 
The Advisory Council shall have, as additional members, representatives of reputable and 
14 
accredited CDD non-government organizations (NGOs) which shall constitute not less than one-
15 
fourth (¼) of the members of the Advisory Council, and shall be appointed by the Advisory 
16 
Council to serve for three (3) years from the date of their appointment.  Thereafter, the 
17 
representatives shall be selected from and appointed by the CDD community of practice.  
18 
Advisory councils at the regional levels are also established with the regional directors of 
19 
the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and DILG, as chairperson and co-
20 
chairperson, respectively, and representatives from the regional offices of NAPC, NEDA, DBM, 
21 
DA, DAR, DENR, DOH, DepEd, DHSUD, and from accredited NGOs, as members.   
22 
SEC. 10. Functions of Advisory Council. – The Advisory Council shall have the 
23 
following functions:  
24 
  
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(a) Meet regularly to promote coordination among agencies to enhance and promote the 
1 
use of the CDD approach;  
2 
(b) Formulate and issue relevant policies to ensure the effective and efficient 
3 
implementation of CDD and its principles;   
4 
(c)  Formulate an incentives program to enhance and promote the use of the CDD approach 
5 
by NGAs and LGUs;  
6 
(d) Formulate a grievance redress mechanism that accepts and resolves complaints 
7 
pertaining to the implementation of this Act;  
8 
(e)  Provide the monitoring and assessment report on the implementation of this Act, post 
9 
the same on the DSWD website, and submit an annual report to the Joint Congressional Oversight 
10 
Committee; and  
11 
(f) Recommend to the President of the Philippines measures and policies for the responsive 
12 
delivery of commitments under this Act and integration into the general poverty reduction strategy 
13 
of the National Government. 
14 
SEC. 10.  Implementing Agencies. –   
15 
(a)  DSWD as lead agency. – As lead agency for the implementation of this Act, the 
16 
DSWD shall serve as the central coordinating, capability building, technical assistance, and 
17 
monitoring agency for this Act.  
18 
The DSWD, through a dedicated office, shall integrate in their regular operations the following 
19 
functions: 
20 
1)   Ensure effective compliance and implementation of this Act; 
21 
2) Facilitate support to empower community members to participate in the local 
22 
development processes and to strengthen community capabilities to engage LGUs, NGAs, 
23 
and other stakeholders to support community-identified priorities; 
24 
 
3) Institutionalize capability building and learning on CDD for NGAs, CSOs, 
25 
private sector institutions, and other partners; 
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4) Lead the research, development, and implementation of new and improved CDD 
1 
mechanisms to adapt to the ever-changing needs of communities; 
2 
5) Accredit CSOs to become partners in the use of CDD approach; and 
3 
6) Provide technical assistance and resource augmentation including but not 
4 
limited to ensuring integration of municipal development plans into provincial 
5 
development plans. 
6 
(b)  DILG as a key partner in capability building. – The DILG shall support the capability 
7 
building of LGUs and communities. The DILG shall also ensure the horizontal and vertical 
8 
alignment and linkages of barangay and city or municipal development plans.  
9 
(c) NAPC as a key partner in mobilizing the basic sectors. – The NAPC shall be a key 
10 
partner agency in the development of policies and measures to ensure meaningful representation 
11 
and active participation of the basic sectors in their local development. 
12 
(d) Support from relevant government agencies. – All relevant bureaus, offices, agencies 
13 
and instrumentalities of the government shall render the necessary support to the implementation 
14 
of this Act. 
15 
The various government agencies identified under this Act and the concerned LGUs shall 
16 
implement this Act using the whole-of-government approach, which provides a logical and 
17 
systematic convergence of efforts of NGAs and LGUs to respond to the identified community 
18 
needs, issues, concerns, and priorities. 
19 
  
20 
SEC. 11.  Regular Monitoring and Reporting. – The DSWD, through the Advisory 
21 
Council, shall conduct quarterly monitoring of the implementation of this Act and submit an 
22 
annual report of its status to the Office of the President and to the Joint Congressional Oversight 
23 
Committee. The report must also be regularly posted on a dedicated DSWD Website and updated 
24 
for the public's information. A process assessment shall be conducted by DSWD once every three 
25 
years, the results of which shall be utilized to stimulate more program lessons exchange, 
26 
experience sharing, public dialogues, policy discussions and generating inputs for program 
27 


 
 
design works on CDD.  Mechanisms for promoting third-party monitoring and evaluation of this 
1 
Act by NGOs and CSOs, together with community members and LGUs, shall also be established.  
2 
  
3 
SEC. 12.  Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. – A Joint Congressional Oversight 
4 
Committee, hereafter referred to as the Oversight Committee, is hereby constituted. The Oversight 
5 
Committee shall set the overall framework to review the implementation of this Act. It shall also 
6 
determine the inherent weaknesses in the law and recommend the necessary remedial legislation 
7 
or executive measures. 
8 
The Oversight Committee is composed of fourteen (14) members, with the chairpersons 
9 
of the Committee on Poverty Alleviation of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
10 
Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development of the Senate as co-chairpersons; and six (6) 
11 
members from each House, to be designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
12 
the Senate President, respectively. 
13 
The review of the implementation of this Act must include a systematic evaluation of its 
14 
impact, accomplishments of the program, and performance of its implementing agencies.  The 
15 
Oversight Committee shall conduct the review every three (3) years reckoned from the effectivity 
16 
of this Act, or whenever deemed necessary by a majority of the members of the Oversight 
17 
Committee. 
18 
SEC. 13. Appropriations. – The amount needed for the implementation of this Act shall 
19 
be charged to the current year’s appropriations of the Department of Social Welfare and 
20 
Development. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for the continued implementation of 
21 
this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
22 
  
23 
SEC. 14.  Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within six (6) months from the 
24 
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Social Welfare and Development shall, in coordination 
25 
with national government agency members of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction 
26 
Cluster, with the participation of the league of barangays, cities, municipalities, and provinces, 
27 


 
 
and relevant stakeholders, promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the effective 
1 
implementation of this Act. 
2 
SEC. 15.  Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or 
3 
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and subsisting. 
4 
SEC. 16.  Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, 
5 
and other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are 
6 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
7 
  
8 
SEC. 17.  Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
9 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
10 
  
11 
Approved, 
12 
 
13