By Kristine Hope Hugo, CDO II
For years, pupils in Barangay Igbong, Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo have to walk a long way to complete their elementary education. Although there is a primary school in the village, it consists of just four classrooms and can only cater up to Grade 4.
Mrs. Roselyn Quiñones, 46 and a mother of five, tearfully recalls her own ordeal taking the long walk to attend Grade 5 and Grade 6 classes in a school located in the next village, Barangay Igbong, 5 to 7 kilometers away. Today, decades later, her children are taking the same muddy trek.
With only four classrooms, Igbong Primary School had to transfer their pupils to other elementary schools in surrounding barangays, either in Bagongbong B, Sohoton, Tinorian or, to the most accessible, in Lico-an.
When Kalahi-CIDSS came to Barotac Nuevo in October 2014 to identify priority needs, it was no surprise that Barangay Igbong proposed the construction of an additional school building.
“Dugay na gid niya namon nga gusto nga makumpleto ang grade levels sa amon eskwelahan” (It has been a long time that we wanted our primary school to have complete grade levels), says Ms. Quiñones Her personal experiences, she says, encouraged her to put a personal stake in this undertaking and pushed her to exert more efforts for the realization of their community sub- project.
A small barangay with just around 178 households, Brgy. Igbong received only a small portion of the Barotac Nuevo’s Municipal Grant Allocation. With a grant of only Php 682,911.26, the amount was not enough for the proposed school building. Fortunately, during the Municipal Forum, several barangays with excess grants contributed to cover up the shortage in the grant of Brgy. Igbong to complete the total project cost of Php 800,000.00.
More welcome news greeted the community volunteers when their sub-project was changed from one- classroom to two- classroom elementary school building after Brgys. Tinorian, Palaciawan and Lico-an shared their excess grants.
Quiñones, an active Pantawid Parent Leader (PL), was at hesitant to become BSPMC Chairperson. She was further daunted upon knowing that the BSPMC Chairpersons in other barangays were either retired school principals or district supervisors.
Still, she welcomed the trust bestowed by the community, she took on the position.
“When this project is realized, our children and their parents will no longer suffer,” Ms. Quiñones said. “It will really help a lot.”
They encountered a lot of challenges like the delayed delivery of materials by the supplier, changes in weather and wrong layout of the building but all of that was solved with the help of the active volunteers, supportive Barangay Local Government Unit and Teaching staff of Igbong Primary School.
When their community sub-project that was completed without requesting the 2nd tranche and no shortage of labor, Ms.Quiñones expressed her joy. The teachers were happily anticipating an increase in enrollment and the pupils were excited to use the new classrooms.
Even the barangay officials led by Punong Barangay Mariano Siaotong were very thankful because of these opportunities and blessing that was given to them by DSWD thru Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP. Also, the volunteers with the management of Ms.Quiῆones were thankful to Kalahi-CIDSS because they were empowered and involved in the processes of KC with an additional gift which is the one- unit two classroom elementary school building.
From a shy housewife who also works in the rice fields to support her family, Ms.Quiñones has become an active citizen who has confidence speaking in front of people to air the needs and concerns not only for herself or her family but also her community also. (Kalahi-CIDSS/DSWD)