By Pauline Dominique C. Tarrazona, Area Coordinator-Jordan (TSP)
Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP or Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services-National Community-Driven Development Program is a special program implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for poverty reduction, community empowerment and improvement of local governance. It employs a community-driven development approach to decision-making, planning, implementation and monitoring.
What best way to tell its story but through the experience of a partner community.
FAR BUT VALUABLE
In the hilly to mountainous areas of Jordan, Guimaras is a sparsely-populated barangay of 10 sitios by the name of Sinapsapan. “There is that stigma among the people of Jordan that we who live here in Sinapsapan are really taga-bukid.”, said Ms. Helen Mae J. Noble, one of the young residents and a Kalahi-CIDSS volunteer. “From the municipal hall, Barangay Sinapsapan distances 20 kilometers. Half this distance, the only reliable mode of transportation to our farthest sitios is the motorcycle.”
Tricycles cannot ascend and penetrate the interior puroks’ because of the rough terrains. Jeepney trips are only scheduled once a day to accommodate pupils and students, but again, not all sitios can be reached.
Despite the challenges, less known to many, Sinapsapan is a community that vies to contribute to the agricultural trade and tourism of the fast-growing town of Jordan. As both a farming and fishing district, vegetables, fruits, rice and a variety of seafoods are delivered to the center frequently. In addition, Sinapsapan hides some of the most pristine white sand beaches in Guimaras that tourists everywhere flock to see.
THROUGH JAGGED EDGES
“The problem with Sinapsapan is not that it is without resources.” Says Punong Barangay Ofelia Jalandoni. “The problem is how to transfer these products to the market or entice tourists to go to our beaches.”
The road problem does not only pertain to distance in Sinapsapan. The quality poses an even greater challenge. This is no more exemplified than in the sitio where the jaggedly sharp stones on the hilly pavements equate to the mouth-watering “kasag” (crab) and “balingon” (anchovies) where it got its name – Balingasag.
Balingasag is only about a kilometre away from the barangay hall but a cliff on one side of the road, the tall grasses, shrubs and trees growing haphazardly along the sharp rocks makes the everyday journey a dangerous one.Only professional bikers and occasional hitch-hikers seem to love the thrill of the road. While residents recall mostly harsh experiences.
In 2010, Pregnant Mrs. Diana Lopez was in her home perched at the topmost portion of the hill in Balingasag when she felt the pains of childbirth. Needing a safe transport, a jeepney was called but none would risk fetching her from the sitio to the hospital in the town center because of the road.Left with no choice, four men helped carry her down the hill to the nearest area where the jeepney dared park.
Mrs. Janet Ohana, also a KC volunteer, recounts her daily chore of going up and down the hill carrying gallons of water from deep wells amid the difficult terrain for the needs of her household.
These snapshots of stories show that in difficulties of access, women are directly and hugely affected.
CONVERGING EFFORTS
With the entry of Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP in the municipality on October 2014, the community opted to prioritize the improvement of Balingasag road. Residents from other sitios showed their support by volunteering their services and other valuable personal resources to the success of the project.
One of them is a petite and simple but vibrant 25-year old woman by the name Helen who has lived in the nearby Sitio Casita all her life. Helen has a partial disability on her left eye but this did not seem to daunt her as she volunteered for Chairpersonship of the Barangay Sub-project Management Committee, the interim committee for KC in the barangay. “I don’t need to pass by the road in Sitio Balingasag to reach home but I don’t need to be a resident of the sitio to volunteer to facilitate the project. Wherever you may hail from, if you have the heart to help, go.”
Ms.Helen Mae Noble stood by her commitment when she made an outstanding sacrifice for the project. Just when the road sub-project was about to start, she was called by her previous employer in Manila to sign up for a non-government organization job. One that could provide her a decent living. But Helen opted to stay in her community until the project was completely turned over. The job did pass her by but from her sacrifice, she was later blessed with a job in the municipal social welfare and development office.
The wonderful story doesn’t end there however.A family in another Sitio, Lutak volunteered to donate an unlimited supply of white rocks from their land for the project. The community, through the barangay assembly also donated a total of 70 bags of cement to further increase the coverage of the road project.
Seeing the greater need, the barangay council members also took the tedious task of reviewing the available funds from each of their sectors and pooling them together to serve as LGU counterpart. It amounted to Php 156,000.00.
It was a convergence worth noting as all sectors made distinguishable efforts to offer what they could. All levels of the LGU from the barangay, to the municipality to the province operationalized the concept of “kapitbisig” paving the way for other non-prioritized needs identified during the community assembly to be given solid answers.
Today, the road in Sitio Balingasag serves as reminder of how the government and the community could successfully work together for the greater good.
“In our story in Barangay Sinapsapan, no one is considered the hero. Everyone had contributed to ensure the completion of our 250 meters concreting project. Ours is a true story of unity, of “kapitbisig” towards a safe road home.” Merlyn Ledesma, Bodegera said. “We love it.”
“Only the bikers and hikers seem to dislike it now.” she cheerfully added. (Kalahi-CIDSS/DSWD)