With the new footpath, school children living along the remote areas along Barangay Igbita and its neighboring barangays need not to go to school shoeless. They can now put on their shoes, walk faster and easier even on rainy days.

Igbita, is one of the remote barangays in the town of Miagao, Iloilo.

Children used to walk down to Igbita-Tigmalapad Elementary School for at least 20 minutes. They experience it every day. During rainy season, trudging through the rocky and unpaved route caused these children to slip and get injured.

Barangay Kagawad Caroline Faura described how difficult it was for the students to go to school during rainy season. “Nabudlayan gid ang mga bata pagpanaw kay ga karandlog sanda. Kapin pa kung ga uran, wara masyado ti estudyante sa eskwelahan (The children find it very difficult to walk through the path because they often slipped especially when it is raining. There are few students that go to school),” she said.

The inaccessible path greatly affected the attendance of the students and their enthusiasm to go to school since they had to walk barefoot just to get across the muddy terrain when it rained. They would rather stay at home, she said.

Aside from the students, the elderly people are also affected. At times, they get into accidents as well. It becomes more challenging because of their frail body and geographical location of the barangay.

The community together with the barangay officials all decided that it was time to find a solution

to their dilemma. They needed to find a way to address this but they do not have enough funds to sustain the project that they wanted.

During the Municipal Inter-Barangay Forum of Kalahi-CIDSS, the community presented the need for a concrete foot path for Barangay Igbita. The proposed project was prioritized for funding with a grant of more than P164,000.

The community of Igbita worked hand-in-hand to finish the project. Residents volunteered their free time and services to the project. The men would help pave the road, while the women cooked lunch or snacks for the volunteers. The children also had a role in the completion because even they would help carry some of the materials to the barangay since vehicles are not able to reach the site.

The spirit of volunteerism and bayanihan is truly alive in Igbita, Miagao. There is no hesitation to lend a helping hand rain or shine since they believe that the footpath is their source of hope in the community. Without unity, the project would not have been made possible.

Their cry for help was answered when the concrete foot path was completed. Residents can easily walk to their home safely. While, students can now wear their complete uniforms. They need not to take off their shoes in going to the school.

“Bahol gid ang nabulig kang footpath nga ran. Maskin ga-uran, ang mga bata ga sulod man gihapon sa eskwelahan. Ang mga tigulang makit-an mo kananda ga panaw-panaw dira kon aga kag hapon. Damo gid naka-benepisyo sina labi na gid ang ara sa iban nga barangay sa babaw, Brgy. Tigmalapad kag Matalngon (The foothpath is a big help to us. Now, even when it rains, the children are able to go to school. The elderly can be seen every morning and afternoon strolling there. Many people have benefitted through this project especially the neighboring barangays in the uplands, such as Brgy. Tigmalapad and Matalngon),” stated Faura.

More than just a solution to a problem, the project was also able to empower the locals. Barangay Treasurer, Riza Naragdag, shared her personal experience that developed her holistically.

 “Sang una ko nga pagkapyot kang kwarta kag mga papeles nga kinahanglanon sang proyekto nga ni, wara gid ko sang may namang-an sa akon nga dapat obrahon. Housewife man lang ako. Maayo na lang damo gid ang tawo nga nagbulig kanakon. Nagtuon ko asta sa  nagkama-an ron ko kag naging confident sa akon sarili (When I first held the budget and processed the papers needed for this project, I didn’t have any idea what I was going to do. I am just a housewife. Luckily, there were a lot of people who helped me. I studied and learned until I knew how to do it and became confident with myself),” Naragdag said.

The community has also seen to it that they maintain the footpath. Every once in a while, when the residents see cracks forming through it, they take it upon themselves to fill them in with cement.

The children of Igbita are not the only ones who benefitted from the concrete footpath but whole community as well. This project has eased the lives of the people. #