By Ramonito Capalihan, Area Coordinator

Punong Barangay Marites Muyong of Tigmalapad, Miag-ao, Iloilo was teary-eyed when she recalled how her family survived a double tragedy in 2008 – Typhoon “Frank” and burying a loved one.

“Sang ga bagyo Frank, nabudlayan ang amon minatay magtabuk sa suba ka San Jose. Isa ka beses nga kinahanglan na gid ilubong angminatay, ang mga tawo nagbinuligay para makatabuk ang amon minatay, kalabanan diri sa amon nga mga barangay sa bukid, didto galubong sang amon minatay. Nasakitan ako nga makita ang kabudlayan sang mga tawo samtang gainulan kag mabaskug ang kuryente sang tubig, gintigayon matabuk sa suba kag idul-ong ang amon minatay (sic) sa patyu sa ubos.

(During the Typhoon Frank, it was very difficult for us to transport the remains of our dead thru the river of barangay San Jose. at one time, we really need to bury our dead already. The people here help in carrying the casket through the swollen river.Almost all of us from the upland areas bury our dead in the cemetery at the lowland. I was really hurt to see the struggle of the people in carrying the dead under a heavy rain and a strong current of water),” said Muyong.

But she has no monopoly over these struggles as accessibility is a big concern of the residents of the upland barangay.

A jump-off point to tourism gems of Miag-ao like Tinagong Dagat and Cabalaunan Rice Terraces, Tigmalapad is accessible through Barangay La Consolacion, which is 30-minute tricycle from the town proper. From La Consolacion, it will take another 30 minutes single motorcycle steep ride to reach Tigmalapad.

Accessibility is important to open up the barangay to development projects. Coupled with the deeply embedded bayanihan spirit in the community, the residents decided to resolve the problem by sharing its resources for the construction of a hanging bridge in nearby barangay of San Jose through DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS program.

Tigmalapad received P400,000-grant from Kalahi-CIDDS NCDDP in 2014. It was part of the P25-million Kalahi-CIDSS allocation for Miag-ao. The village shared a portion of its grant amounting to P100,000 for the construction of a bridge in San Jose, which is expected to benefit 33 more barangays.

But the sharing of grant came with a risk. The amount is part of the grant for another equally important project dubbed “Improvement of Water Supply.”

It was a challenge for the people of Tigmalapad to risk on both project proposals because the P300,000 allocation for the improvement of water supply of a 4.5 kilometer distance from the source of water to the barangay is too expensive. Muyong exerted all effort to source out all available funds needed based on the designed drafted by the Technical Facilitator until it reached a million peso with the help of Municipal Local counterpart fund.

Despite the distance of the barangay from the Poblacion, the community volunteers of Tigmalapad found ways to attend every KC-NCDDP Community volunteers training. If one of the assigned committee members for the training happened to have a busy schedule on that day, they send a representative from the BSPMC committees to complete their list.

It happened once that BSPMC committee members received payment for their labor payment at a barangay project and they decided to allot the money for the upcoming KC-NCDDP training.”Ang gin labor nila, gin gamit nila pamelete para maka-attend sa training (they used the money that they received from their labor for fare to attend the training),” Treasurer Chona L. Monay said.

The community’s perseverance has moved them closer to attaining their longing for a better access and a sufficient supply of water to sustain their crops all throughout the year. Most of them say it’s a “dream come true.”

“Madamo gid nga salamat kay ginkaluy-an kami sang Ginoo. Paagi sa proyekto sang Kalahi-CIDSS, matigayon ang ginahandum namon nga tubig. (Thank God for being merciful. Thru the project of Kalahi-CIDSS our dreamed of water source has come true)” a resident Janet Momay praised.

At the moment the water supply project is being enjoyed by the community while the hanging foot bridge is now at 80 percent of its physical accomplishment and soon to be used by the residents of 8 barangays in crossing the river going to the poblacion area. (Kalahi-CIDSS/DSWD)