Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 443

INTRODUCED BY REP. MAXIMO, JR. Y. DALOG

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to institutionalize the Community Driven Development (CDD)
approach to address the lack of an enabling policy, a national strategy and its
mechanisms for community empowerment, by enhancing capacities for
community participation, especially the poor, vulnerable, disadvantaged, and
marginalized, in the local development process.

With this bill, communities are placed at the center of all development plans,
budget and strategies by mandating concerned agencies, local government
units and other government instrumentalities to implement their community-
based programs, activities and projects with the participation of the members of
the community.

In view of the foregoing consideration, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS,
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 443

INTRODUCED BY REP. MAXIMO, JR. Y. DALOG

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT APPROACH
AS A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND SOCIAL
PROTECTION, ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE THE CDD KNOWLEDGE AND
RESOURCE INSTITUTE, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR*

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Community-Driven
Development (CDD) Approach Institutionalization Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policies. — It is the policy of the State to uplift the
standard of living and quality of life of the poor and provide them with sustained
opportunities for growth and development. The State also recognizes that the right of
the people and their organizations to effective and reasonable participation at all levels
of social, political, and economic decision-making shall not be abridged. The State shall,
by law, facilitate the establishment of adequate consultation mechanisms.

Towards this end, and in pursuit of sustainable and inclusive growth and poverty
reduction, the State shall enact programs that provide opportunities for community
members particularly the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized to effectively participate in
designing, planning, budgeting, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating community
programs, activities, and projects.

Further, the State shall provide capacity building opportunities for local
government units, civil society organizations, and communities to ensure the proper use
of the CDD approach in implementing local programs, projects, and activities.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act:
(a) Basic sectors refer to the disadvantaged sectors of Philippine society

including farmer-peasants, fisherfolk, workers in the formal sector including migrant
workers, workers in the informal sector, indigenous peoples and cultural communities,


women, persons with disability, senior citizens, victims of calamities and disasters, youth
and students, children, urban poor, and members of cooperatives,

(b) _ Community-based programs refer to programs, activities, or projects that
are designed, planned, organized and implemented locally by community members or
groups to address community-identified plans and needs;

(©) Community-driven development (CDD) refers to an approach that gives
control over the development process, decision-making, and resources to community
members or groups and treats people as assets and partners in the development
process while building on their institutions and resources; and

(d) Community empowerment refers to a process of enabling groups to
increase control over the factors and decisions that shape their lives, including their
assets and attributes, partners, networks, and voice.

SEC. 4. Elements of CDD. - The CDD approach has the following elements:

(a) Community focus wherein programs or projects put primacy on a group of
people living in a particular locality or geographical area such as a barangay, ancestral
domain, or specific subsets thereof, where interventions are implemented;

(b) Participatory planning wherein the process directly involves the community
members, leaders, and other stakeholders in diagnosing local problems and designing
a course of action to resolve those problems, and aims to harmonize views among all of
its participants and provide opportunities for the engagement especially of the
marginalized groups;

(c) Community control of resources wherein the utilization and management of
the resources by the community members or groups are based on community-identified
plans and needs;

(4) Community-managed implementation wherein the execution, monitoring, and
contract management of community-identified projects are performed by community
members or groups, with assistance from the local government units (LGUs) and other
local partners; and

(e) Participatory monitoring and evaluation wherein the process through which
members at various levels of the community engage in monitoring and evaluating a
program or policy, share control over the content, the process and the results of the
monitoring and evaluation activity, and participate in identifying and making corrective
actions.

SEC. 5. Institutionalization of the CDD Approach. ~ National government
agencies (NGAs) and departments, including their attached agencies, offices, bureaus,
other government instrumentalities, and LGUs shall adopt the CDD approach in their
community-based programs to promote participation and empowerment of poor,
vulnerable, disadvantaged, and marginalized groups within communities.

SEC. 6. Operationalization of the CDD Approach. - NGAs and LGUs in
community-based programs shall be responsible for:


(a) Developing policies for enhancing participatory governance practices,
tapping community organizations particularly the basic sectors, and responding to
community needs;

(0) Providing information on government intervention, technical assistance
and support to partner communities for more effective community-driven planning and
implementation;

(c) Enabling community members to meaningfully participate in the whole
process;

(d) Ensuring that community members are prioritized, to the extent possible,
in receiving employment opportunities brought about by project implementation at the
communities;

(e) Ensuring that identified community priorities are sufficiently funded; and

(f) _ Accrediting and ensuring participation of civil society organizations (CSOs)
as partners in organizing and strengthening communities, and implementing community-
based PAPs.

SEC. 7. Role of Civil Society Organizations and the Academe. — Accredited
CSOs and academic institutions are encouraged to participate in community activities,
specifically by:

(a) _ Facilitating the community empowerment processes;

(b) Providing continuous capacity building and technology transfer to LGUs
and communities;

(c) Conducting third party monitoring and evaluation of capacity building and
empowerment of LGUs and communities; and

(d) Providing additional funding or collaborating with partners or donors to
implement capacity building and empowerment of LGUs and communities.

For purposes of this section, the CDD community of practice refers to a
community of CDD practitioners comprised of agencies, NGOs, academic and research
institutions, and individuals, that share the commitment and passion for CDD, and
together strive to advance its practice through regular and purposive interaction.

SEC. 8. Incentives. - The exemplary use of the CDD approach by NGAs and
LGUs shall be considered as a significant criterion for the recognition given to LGUs
such as the Seal of Good Local Governance by the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG) and other awards by NGAs.

SEC. 9. Advisory Council. — An Advisory Council on CDD institutionalization is
created to develop policies relative to the implementation of this Act.

The Advisory Council is composed of the following:

(a) Secretary of Social Welfare and Development, as chairperson;


(b) Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, as co-chairperson; and

(c)_ Representatives from the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Budget and
Management (DBM), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of
Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Human
Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).

The representatives include the secretaries of the agencies as the officially
designated permanent members and designated undersecretaries as alternate
representatives.

The Advisory Council shall have, as additional members, representatives of
accredited non-government organizations (NGOs) which shall constitute not less than
one-fourth (%) of the members of the Advisory Council, and shall be appointed by the
Advisory Council to serve for three (3) years from the date of their appointment
Thereafter, the representatives shall be selected from and appointed by the CDD
community of practice.

Advisory councils at the regional levels are also established with the regional
directors of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and DILG, as
chairperson and co-chairperson, respectively, and representatives from the regional
offices of NAPC, NEDA, DBM, DA, DAR, DENR, DOH, DepEd, DHSUD, and from
accredited NGOs, as members.

SEC. 10. Functions of Advisory Council. - The Advisory Council shall have the
following functions:

(a) Meet regularly to promote coordination among agencies to enhance and
promote the use of the CDD approach;

(b) Implement the incentives program to enhance and promote the use of the
CDD approach by NGAs and LGUs;

(c) Implement a grievance redress mechanism that accepts and resolves
complaints pertaining to the implementation of this Act;

(d) Provide the monitoring and assessment report on the implementation of
this Act, post the same on the DSWD website, and submit an annual report to the Joint
Congressional Oversight Committee; and

(e) _ Recommend to the President of the Philippines measures and policies for
the responsive delivery of commitments under this Act and integration into the general
poverty reduction strategy of the National Government

SEC. 11. Establishment of the CDD Knowledge and Resource Institute. -
The CDD Knowledge and Resource Institute, hereinafter referred to as the Institute, is
established as a non-stock, non-profit government-owned and controlled corporation
with its own charter, attached to the DSWD. The Institute is a policy, research, and
training arm of the Advisory Council, which shall provide support for continuing
research and technology development, partnership development, policy advocacy,


resource mobilization, capacity-building of communities, monitoring and evaluation to
ensure effective institutionalization and operationalization of the CDD framework.

SEC. 12. Functions and Powers of the Institute. —

a) The Insfitute shall have the following functions:
1) Policy advocacy;
2) Learning and development:
(i) Development of CDD resource pool, a group of experts on CDD
principles and implementation who possess expertise in CDD to co-
develop the certification and accreditation programs and other

learning and development requirements of the staff, partners, and
other stakeholders;

(ii) Certification of CDD organizations, institutions, and individual
practitioners who shall either be partners of the program or part of its
human resources; and

(iii) Continuing professional development through partner academic
institutions.

3) Knowledge management and technology development;

4) Regular monitoring and evaluation;
(i) Resource mobilization: partnership and linkages; and
(ii), Convergence.

5) Secretariat support services to the Advisory Council

b) The Institute shall exercise the following powers:

1) Collect, receive and maintain funds, donations, and other forms of
assistance and apply the income and principal thereof to the promotion of its aims and
purposes;

2) Contract any obligation, or enter into any agreement necessary or
incidental to the proper management of its powers;

3) Carry on any activity and exercise all of the powers conferred by laws upon
private or government-owned or controlied corporations, and do any and all of the acts
and things prescribed under this Act.

c) The Institute may charge socialized fees, as determined by the Board, on
all applications for certifications, trainings, and other services rendered by the Institute.


SEC 13. Board of Directors. — The Institute shall be under the direct supervision
of a Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board, composed of the Secretary
of Social Welfare and Development as chairperson and at least four (4) other members.
from CSOs and the academe, to be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon
the recommendation of the Secretary of Social Welfare and Development.

The appointive members of the Board shall serve for a term of four (4) years. Of
those first appointed, one shall serve for four (4) years, one for three (3) years, one for
two (2) years and one for one (1) year, respectively. Appointment to any vacancy shall
be only for the unexpired term of the predecessor. No appointive member of the Board
shall serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms.

A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
of business.

SEC. 14. Functions of the Board. - The Board shall have the following functions:

(a) Formulate and adopt policies and measures for the management and
operation of the Institute;

(b) Appoint the president of the Institute who shall come from among the
appointive members of the Board;

(c) Approve the staffing pattern of the Institute;

(d) Promulgate rules and regulations for the discharge of its powers and functions
and the internal operations of the Institute. The chairperson of the Board shall exercise
the power to appoint, promote, discipline or remove the personnel of the Institute;

(e) Manage the financial affairs of the Institute and approve an annual budget of
the Institute according to its requirements; and

(f) Monitor and review the programs and projects of the Institute.

SEC. 15. President of the Institute; Powers and Functions. - The president
of the Institute is the chief executive officer of the Institute and is entitled to receive such
salary and remuneration as may be determined by the Board in accordance with existing
laws and rules and regulations

The president shall exercise the following powers and functions:

(a) Prepare, for the approval of the Board, the staffing pattern of the Institute
which includes the determination of the qualifications, the number and compensation of
officials and other personnel as may be necessary for the proper discharge of the
functions of the Institute;

(b) _ Exercise control and supervision over the personnel, staff, operations, and
internal administration of the Institute in accordance with existing laws and the rules and
regulations promulgated by the Board;

(c) Recommend to the Board such policies and measures necessary for the
effective exercise and discharge of the powers and functions of the Institute; and



(4) Submit an annual report to the Board on the operations, status of the
programs funded by, and financial condition of the Institute, including a recommendation
for its budget for the ensuing year.

SEC. 16. Endowment Fund. — There is hereby established an endowment fund
which shall consist of voluntary contributions, donations, grants, or loans from domestic
or foreign sources, government subsidies and other income accruing from the operations
of the Institute.

SEC. 17. Implementing Agencies. -

(a) __ DSWD as lead agency. — As lead agency for the implementation of this
‘Act, the DSWD shall integrate in their regular operations the following functions:

1) Facilitate support to empower community members to participate in the
local development processes and to strengthen community capabilities to engage LGUs,
NGAs, and other stakeholders to support community-identified priorities;

2) __Institutionalize capacity-building and learning on CDD for NGAs, CSOs,
private sector institutions, and other partners;

3) Accredit CSOs to become partners in the use of CDD approach; and

4) Provide technical assistance and resource augmentation by ensuring
integration of municipal development plans into provincial development plans

(b) _ DILG as key partner in capacity building. — The DILG shall support the
CDD Knowledge and Resource Institute in the capacity building of LGUs and
communities.

(©) NAPC as key partner in mobilizing the basic sectors.— The NAPC shall
be a key partner agency in the development of policies and measures to ensure
meaningful representation and active participation of the basic sectors in their local
development.

(4) _ Support from relevant government agencies. — All relevant bureaus,
offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the government shall render the necessary
support to the implementation of this Act.

The various government agencies identified under this Act and the concerned
LGUs shall implement this Act using the whole-of-government approach, which
provides a logical and systematic convergence of efforts of NGAs and LGUs to respond
to the identified community needs, issues, concerns, and priorities.

SEC. 18. Regular Monitoring and Reporting. — The Advisory Council shall
monitor the implementation of this Act and submit an annual report of its status to the
Office of the President and to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. The report
must also be regularly posted on the DSWD Website and updated for the public's
information. A process assessment shall be conducted by DSWD once every three
years, the results of which shall be utilized to stimulate more program lessons
exchange, experience sharing, public dialogues, policy discussions and generating
inputs for program design works on CDD. Mechanisms for promoting third-party


monitoring and evaluation of this Act by NGOs and CSOs, together with community
members and LGUs, shall also be established.

SEC. 19. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. — A Joint Congressional
Oversight Committee, hereafter referred to as the Oversight Committee, is hereby
constituted. The Oversight Committee shall set the overall framework to review the
implementation of this Act. It shall also determine the inherent weaknesses in the law
and recommend the necessary remedial legislation or executive measures.

The Oversight Committee is composed of fourteen (14) members, with the
chairpersons of the Committee on Poverty Alleviation of the House of Representatives,
and the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development of the Senate as
co-chairpersons; and six (6) members from each House, to be designated by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President, respectively.

The review of the implementation of this Act must include a systematic evaluation
of its impact, accomplishments of the program, and performance of its implementing
agencies. The Oversight Committee shall conduct the review every three (3) years
reckoned from the effectivity of this Act, or whenever deemed necessary by a majority
of the members of the Oversight Committee.

SEC. 20. Preferential Option for Basic Sectors in Capacity-Building. — The
CDD Knowledge and Resource Institute shall prioritize the capacity building of
communities with identified members of basic sectors.

SEC. 21. Appropriations. ~ The amount needed for the implementation of this
Act shall be charged to the current year's appropriations of the Department of Social
Welfare and Development. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for the
continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act

The CDD Knowledge and Resource Institute may accept donations and other
forms of assistance in accordance with applicable laws and issuances for purposes
relevant to the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 22. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within six (6) months from
the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Social Welfare and Development shall, in
coordination with national government agency members of the Human Development
and Poverty Reduction Cluster, with the participation of the league of barangays, cities,
municipalities, and provinces, and relevant stakeholders, promulgate the rules and
regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 23. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid
or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and
subsisting.

SEC. 24. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and
regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the
provisions of this Act are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.


SEC. 25. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
Publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,