By Caroline N. Alzate, Area Coordinator, ACT ALTAVAS

 

“Ro Kalahi hay matsa guinbuligan kita nga magtahi it eambong, magpili ag guin taw-an it materyales ag guinbuligan magtahi ag tapos hay guintao man katon para naton suksukon” (Kalahi is like helping us make a dress, sew it and gave it to us to wear.)

This is the closing message of Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee Chair Judy Francisco during the Turn-Over Ceremony of their Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services National Community Driven Development Program (Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP) project which is the mitigation of risk and improving delivery of basic services through community-managed rehabilitation of civic center at Barangay Cabugao, Altavas, Aklan.

She recalled when they had the first Barangay Assembly last October 2014, the community was very happy to realize that they are being given the opportunity to participate and have the voice to identify and prioritize their needs.  It was then that the community decided that they needed a safe place for the people to go to when disaster strikes just like what happened during Typhoon Yolanda.

Barangay Cabugao is one of the barangays in Aklan that produces fat and juicy “talaba” or oysters because they have on their eastern side the Tinagong Dagat.  It is bounded in the north by the Brgy. Cabugao of the Municipality of Batan, Aklan and in the South by the mountainous Barangay Dalipdip, Altavas, and to its West is the Barangay Cortes of Balete, Aklan.

Its land area isabout 1,500 hectares divided into 7 sitios namely: Sitio Proper, Amiligan, Bangkerohan, Magsapil, Cabangahan Zone I, Cabangahan Zone II, and Magtama.  It has a total of 479 households (388 male headed and 71 female headed) and with a total population of 2,015 (1,014 males and 1,001 females).

Most of the families during disaster have no safe place to go to evacuate.  Hence, a civic center is what they decided they needed.  For the first time the project was the people’s choice and there was no difficulty in finding volunteers for the management of the project.  They wholeheartedly and voluntarily presented themselves for the sake of the community and the implementation of the project.

During the process of planning and proposal preparation and approval, they worked together “kapit-bisig” to submit documents required for their request for funds.  The volunteers are actively helping and even staying late so that they can submit their documents on time.

When project began, the community, for the first time, learned the community-driven procurement process of KALAHI and the Barangay Councilor Henry Panado said “makaron ea nga ko naka experience it mag canvass maskin mabuhay eon ako nga konsehal” (this is the first time that I have participated in an opening of canvass despite of the fact that I have been a councilor for a long time).  When they started the construction of the civic center, there were a lot of challenges that the community faced but the most important thing for them during this time is that they are called upon to discuss the problem and they take initiative in finding solutions and decide what to do.

“Aton ro proyekto ngara, ruyon ro permi natong tandaan kaya indi eon kamo mag-expect it mga alo-allowance nga ron dahil ro mga natun-an naton ngara sa proseso it Kalahi umpisa sa planning ag implementasyon hay sobra-sobra eon” (Let us put in mind, this our own project and let us not expect any allowance.  Our learning on the process of Kalahi from planning to implementation is more than enough) –Barangay Representation Team Chairman Cecilia Payba preached to the community volunteers.

“Hara nga natapos eon ag naturn-over ro project sa barangay, nga worth Php 1,274,962.50, hay nagapasaeamat gid it abo ro mga pumueoyo it Barangay Cabugao. Kabahoe-bahoe gid nga bulig raya sa barangay dahil makaron hay may venue eon kami nga safe ag secure pag may disaster ag lugar man para sa conduct it among mga nagakanari-saring activities sa barangay nga kung siin hay kinahang-ean ro desisyon it tanan.  Pero bukon it proyekto ro amon nga guin tan aw hay kundi ro amon nga guinagyan para mapatindog ro aton nga civic center nga sa likod ngara hay abo kami nga naantiguhan para mabuligan amon nga barangay makabangon” (Now, this project, worth Php 1,274,962.50, is finished and we are having this turn-over ceremony.  This project is such a big help, we have now a safe place to go when disaster strikes and also a venue for barangay activities.  But what is important is not the successful construction of the building but the values we learned, the struggles, the triumphs everytime we resolve or mitigate a problem.  And, that what we have learned also helped our barangay rise,)  Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee Chair Judy Francisco proudly announced.

Everyone then shouted hurray and celebrated that day and they claimed, “this is now our own civic center.” (Kalahi-CIDSS/DSWD)