Far off trails and rough terrains of Anini-y stood a small hut surrounded by lush green foliage and several native houses.

The hut was made of bamboo poles tied together to support scraps of thin metal roofing with patches of nipa leaves to avoid the raindrops intruding inside whenever it rains. The walls were also made of bamboo, sliced into slabs and lined up together vertically to complete a temporary shelter, so at a certain time of the day, harsh sun rays are allowed to seep through the gaps and slits of the walls.

The hut was nothing much but it was pretty much everything for the residents of Barangay Tagaytay, Anini-y, Antique.

It was common grounds for the community’s daily activities and special occasions but more importantly, it was a haven for learning for their little kids.

Every morning, the shack which serve as a Day Care Center would resound tiny shouts of joy as the children excitedly waits for their early morning session to play games and learn together.

“Sadya man ang mga kabataan kung naga eskwela sanda. Garing kung naga uran, ga dura ron anda nga konsentrasyon sa pagtuon kay ga tururo ang tubig sa atup, raku ron buho bay (The children were always happy and excited to learn but whenever it rains, they tend to lose their focus on studying because of the disrupting raindrops allowed inside by holes on the roof),” relates Joseph Solis, Punong Barangay of Tagaytay.

Parents also recount on how they would feel uneasy sending their children off to school during bad weathers, afraid that any strong wind could easily trample down the structure.

Opelia Padohinog, one of the Day Care parents recalls how the Day Care Center didn’t have any comfort rooms, making it difficult for the children. They would have to hide themselves behind bushes around the center just to ease their discomfort.

Because of all the inconvenience, the people of Tagaytay decided to have their Barangay chapel as the temporary Day Care Center. It lasted for more than a year.

Opelia further expressed how operating a Day Care inside the chapel is not that suitable as children were not allowed to roam around, play, and make all the noise as much as they want. “Daw kami nga mga ginikanan ang nabudlayan para sa mga bata. Hindi gid nila ma obra ang gusto nila obrahon, limitado gid ang pwede nila ma obra, rason man guro nga gaka dura interes nanda mag eskwela (We pity our children because they seem to lose interest to study and explore due to the limitations of space and the kind of place they are in),” she adds.

As much as how Brgy. Tagaytay was very hard to access because of rough roads and occasional boulders, the community also strived hard to realize a project to build a proper Day Care Center for the comfort of their children. To aid the problem, the whole community agreed upon building a proper Day Care Center to funded by the Kalahi-CIDSS (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan: Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Service) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

In earlier years, Tagayaty was able to receive various projects from Kalahi-CIDSS including farm to market roads, slope protection, and solar street lights – all for the convenience of travel and transport. It was only later, when major road problems were addressed, that Tagaytay finally came to aim their concern about a Day Care Center for the children.

The people of Tagayatay were very supportive and eager to put up the Day Care Center knowing that it will greatly benefit their children and the generations that will come after them.

“Nag-ugyon ang mga tawo idya kay nakita nanda nga tama gid ka importante ang proyekto para sa kauswagan kang mga kabataan (Our people united and willingly participated because they understood the value of the project for the future of our children),” says Barangay Captain Solis.

Through bayanihan, the implementation of the project became easier. Since the road to Tagaytay was a hard path for vehicles, the residents volunteered to flatten the road to make it accessible to the vehicles carrying the construction materials.

“Budlay ang delivery ka mga materyales hay budlayan gid mag tukad ang bagon. Gin-kidan namon ang dalan paagi sap pag dagyaw ka mga pamuluyo para lang kaagi ang bagon (It was hard for the big trucks to maneuver on our terrains. Almost all of Tagaytay’s people helped to pave the road in order for the trucks to easily drive towards our area),” adds Captain Solis.

It was not only because of the community’s patience for the realization of the project but more importantly, it was because of their camaraderie as a team having that one goal of providing their children the foundation of good education that they need. That would only be possible in a place conducive for learning and exploration.

“Mas nangin interesado ron ang mga bata sa anda pag-eskwela hay name ron anda nga room, makatuon ron sanda ti mayad (The children were excited and became more interested in studying after finding their classroom spacious and very convenient for their activities),” says Opelia.

Unlike the times when the children needed to endure the discomfort of a limited space and from rainwater dripping inside through the holes on the roof, the daycare center that stood now is more than what the people hoped for. The children are now free to roam around to learn and explore. Also, they can now learn the proper hygiene on using a comfort room. More importantly, the children are now motivated and inspired to be educated so the burden of the parents about them having a bright future has somehow lifted. #dswd/kalahi-cidss).