A TOTAL of P280 million in United States government projects through the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) has been poured into 13 sites in six provinces and two cities in the country to promote locally-led development solutions.

Patrick Wesner, USAid Philippines deputy mission director, inaugurated these projects together with the government, civil society, private sector and the academe partners at a virtual event on May 7, 2021.

The sites for the projects are located in Sorsogon, Leyte, Eastern Samar, Misamis Oriental and Sultan Kudarat; Tublay, Benguet; and Iloilo City and Cagayan de Oro City.

“As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of US-Philippines diplomatic relations, we look forward to furthering our productive collaboration with the Philippine civil society organizations as we continue to pursue inclusive and resilient growth for Filipinos,” Wesner said.

He added the four projects will empower local organizations to try new, unique approaches to address development challenges in their communities.

To advance development in Sorsogon, Leyte, Eastern Samar, Misamis Oriental and Sultan Kudarat for two and a half years, there will be 10 sites for the “Coalescing Organizations Toward Locally Led Actions to Boost Development” project that will employ data and evidence.

In Tublay, Benguet, the two-year (2021-2023) “Facilitating Local Access to Water” project will help local partners to achieve reliable access to safe drinking water.

A two-year action-research project titled “Assets, Agency and Trust” will use consultations and networking activities to mobilize local resources and drive development activities across the country.

In Iloilo City and Cagayan de Oro City, the three-year (2021-2024) “Capacitating Strategic Organizations to Strengthen the Civil Society Organization Sector” project will empower civil society organizations to effectively deliver services and sustain development results.

According to Wesner, these projects join the Generating Rural Opportunities by Working with Cooperatives program launched in 2020 to expand rural livelihood opportunities and increase food security as part of Local Works.

Local Works is USAid’s flagship locally-led development effort that utilizes the creativity and resourcefulness of local communities and enables them to drive their development, he said.