PARA SA KOMUNIDAD, PARA SA MGA BATA

Bulagsong Elementary School. For 100 days, resident-volunteers of Brgy Bulagson worked together for the completion of their 4-classroom school building under the Kalahi-CIDSS AUSAID program. They believe that providing their children with good education is key to the development not only of themselves and that of their family, but also to the development of their community as a whole.***

The people of Brgy Bulagsong, only dream to provide their children a good venue for their learning.  For several years now, the students of Bulagsong Elementary School endured the poor conditions of their classrooms. Rains are often threats since the rooms have worn-out roofs and strong winds can easily tear them down.

As a result, children 6-12 years old became less interested in going to school. Not only are their rooms discouraging for them but the lack of classrooms forced the school to follow a multi-grade system. There is also a high number of out of school youths in the area.

With the coming of the Kalahi-CIDSS, the people of Brgy. Bulagsong has proposed the construction of a four-classroom elementary school building. Two times, they failed.

Randy Natividad, a BSPMC volunteer, pinpoints what he saw as the problem why the barangay’s proposal isn’t always prioritized.

“Mahirap magpatawag ng barangay assembly dito, mababa rin ang partisipasyon ng mga tao sa mga aktibidad ng Kalahi. Mayroon din kaming kakulangan sa cash counterpart para sa project,” he said.

But just when everyone thought of giving the dream up, an opportunity came to help them construct the school building for their children.

Dreams granted, no more failures

Through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the four-classroom elementary school building in Brgy. Bulagsong was prioritized for funding in November 2013.  With the lessons learned from previous failures (lack of cooperation and interest among community members), the residents worked as a team this time in the construction of their school building project. The Barangay Council and the volunteers have been active all throughout the project’s implementation.

Rosie Marquez, PIT Head, have seen how the community has become one when it comes to the implementation of the project.

“Sa loob ng 100 na araw na namalagi ako sa site, unti-unti kong nakita ang pagbuo ng proyekto. Naging familiar din ako sa proseso ng programa. Nakita ko lahat ng taong labas-pasok sa site mula sa mga laborers, barangay council members, volunteers at Kalahi staff. Lahat sila gustong makita kung ano na ang development ng aming proyekto,” she shared.

There are also a lot of people in the barangay including out of school youths who found a temporary job and a means to support their respective families.

“Kapag naglalakad po ako pauwi galing sa site, madalas may naririnig akong agam-agam at mga pag-aalala ng mga tao tungkol sa proyekto.  Hindi ko na po sila pinapansin dahil alam ko kaya at pwedeng mabuo ito.  Bilang isang ina rin, nakita ko ang kalagayan ng mga anak ko tuwing nasisira ang kanilang silid-aralan kapag bumabagyo.  Kasama ng ibang mga magulang dito, hindi namin iniisip ang pagod.  Andito kami para itayo ang silid-aralan,” she said.

For the people of Brgy. Bulagsong, it takes a lot of cooperation to build a classroom, a lesson they learned after a couple of failures. The people, through the school building standing tall today, have proven that they believe in the value of education not only for the future of their children and their families, but for the future of the community where they belong.***

A YOUNG HEART’S GREAT DREAM

Veronica Constantino is a 17 years old out-of-school youth of Barangay Sta. Maria, General Luna, Quezon. She is among the volunteers who helped implement their 1.1 kms farm to market road project under the Kalahi-CIDSS program. Despite her own struggles, she hopes that the road project would be the start of progress for their community.***

Veronica Constantino is an out-of-school youth who chose to make herself worthy to her community despite being deprived of education.

Veronica was one of the volunteers of Barangay Sta. Maria, General Luna, Quezon who worked on the construction of their farm to market road project. Although she is only 17 years old, she knows that she can help in the implementation of their P2.026M community project under Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).

Kalahi-CIDSS is a government’s program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development. It provides assistance to poor communities particularly along infrastructure and facility development through a community empowerment activity cycle.

“I would like to help my community as long as I can. Because it is not only for the good of my family, but for all of us,” she said.

Their farm to market road project is 1.10km long and is expected to benefit at least 80 households in their barangay alone.

“Before, we took off our slippers as the path is so muddy and slippery. But, thanks to Kalahi-CIDSS we no longer endure such hardships going to and from our barangay,” she added.

Struggles, Community Development

Although Veronica struggles financially and health-wise, but these didn’t stop her to continue helping.

“My parents can’t able to finance my college education so I decided to be a working student but my dreams fall apart when I was diagnosed to have an ulcer and goiter and had experienced fainting in three separate occasions,” Veronica related.

Despite her condition and advises that she rest, Veronica still prefer to keep herself busy. “I didn’t want to stay in the house. I wanted to help my family in any way I can. Even if I a health condition, I chose to be busy and volunteered to be part of this FMR project. I just have to make sure that I get enough rest and eat properly before any task so as not to be a burden to anyone,” she added.

Veronica recalls the nervousness she felt when she presented their project during the inter barangay forum. “Even though we prepared for the presentation, I still felt nervous. Luckily, our barangay was provided with project and all of my town folks were happy. It was really a worthy experience,” she said.

Dreams to Fulfill

Youth like Veronica are the hope of our country. She wanted to go on college but was constrained financially. Although things could have gone worse, she chose to turn the tides and do worthy things. Veronica proved that despite the lack of opportunity, determination made her worthy.

“Given the opportunity, I would like to finish my schooling. More than that, I hope that this road projects of ours will be the start of my community’s progress,” she ended.***Glorei Allelu N. Lindio

http://www.fo4a.dswd.gov.ph/2013/05/a-young-hearts-great-dream/

TAKING PART IN A MEN’S WORLD

Construction is predominantly a men’s world. With the physical strength required to perform tedious tasks, women are usually out of the equation. But, under the Kalahi-CIDSS program, it isn’t true anymore.***

Regina San Agustin, 43, and Lucila Pustrado, 49, are only two women who prove that there are no limits as to what they can do for their families. The world may see it is a man’s job, but they see it as an opportunity to provide for their children and help their respective communities.

Both women are engaged in the construction of a farm-to-market road project in their barangay in Ilayang Kinagunan in the town of Agdangan, Quezon Province. This is a 1.78 km. long road, what their community sees as their most pressing need. The project amounts to P3.140M jointly funded by the community, the local government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).

The Kalahi-CIDSS helps empower poor communities, reduce poverty and improve local governance through providing infrastructure and facility projects. The program also promotes women empowerment by providing them an avenue for improvement of knowledge and skills where they can exercise their potentials not only at home but also in the community. In Kalahi-CIDSS, a total of 30 percent of women in a community are engaged in construction activities, providing them temporary jobs during the construction of the project.

Regina used to earn P1,500 monthly through farming and selling charcoal.

“But sometimes I don’t earn at all, that is why I grabbed the opportunity in our community and joined in the construction so that at least I get to earn P220 per day,” she said.

With her earnings, she shared she is now able to afford more food such as rice, meat and vegetables, much more than what they get before,” she shared.

She added that although the job is just temporary, it helps her family a lot.

Meanwhile, Lucila gets to use what she earns from being involved in the construction for her children’s education. According to her, she has saved enough for the enrollment of her two kids.

Besides their earnings, Lucila and Regina are also proud of being able to do a man’s work such as mixing cement and carrying sacks of gravel. Such is a hard task, but they are both glad they now know how to mix cement, properly identify construction materials and measure the right volume of materials required for the project.

Even before the construction of the road, the two women were already active volunteers of the Kalahi-CIDSS. Along with other residents, they were provided with capability trainings along procurement, finance, operations and maintenance, and handling grievances for proper project management.

“Being a volunteer of Kalahi-CIDSS, I was also able to learn how to canvass construction materials and monitor the progress of our project,” Regina shared.

But what drives these two women in engaging in this project aside from the money and empowerment they get? As what Lucila said, it is about helping complete a project that will greatly improve our community.

With the new road functional today, both women are proud that they have been part of its construction. It gives them fulfillment that the new road makes transporting of the residents’ farm products like coconut, bananas, vegetables and other crops to the town proper easier and faster.

“Its path is also wider, which makes it easy for vehicles to access our community,” Regina added.

Moreover, children are also now able to ride tricycles or motorcycles rather than walking for several hours just to go to school. Residents who suffer from illness are now able to go to the health center with ease.

Through Regina’s and Lucila’s experiences, they have proven themselves and their community that women deserve equal opportunities to men.

“We are thankful that we are able to participate in this project as it helped us improve ourselves and our family. Also, we are proud that we are able to prove that we can do everything if we only believe in our capabilities,” Regina stated.***Glorei Allelu N. Lindio

NANAY LINA AND TATAY FRANCO: THEN AND NOW

In the Making. Just like your typical love story, the story of Nanay Lina and Tatay Franco is filled with elements of surprise, romance and sacrifice. They are among the beneficiaries of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) Livelihood Project for Vulnerable Urban Poor Communities (LVUC) in Rosario, Cavite who were taught how to make handmade buri bags. For them, being together and and receiving such assistance from the government are a blessing.***

Just like your typical love story, the story of Lina and Franco is filled with elements of surprise, romance and sacrifice. The difference is that they are already in their 70s (age range).

She was 27 when Angelina met her husband Franco in the same company that they were working for in Pasig. At that time, Angelina had a boyfriend. Franco, an electrical engineer, was single and not from the said municipality.
Angelina said Franco was just simply her friend. “Hindi ko akalain magiging kami [I never thought we would end up together],” she said.
Angelina shared her unforgettable moment with Franco. She said he asked her to go out with him to the circus and enjoy some rides. At the end of the night, to her surprise, Franco asked for her hand in marriage.“Sabi ko oo [I said yes].”
Five months later, Tatay Franco and Nanay Lina were married.

Struggles in marriage
However, their married life was far from smooth.For Tatay Franco to sustain the needs of his family and plan for a better future for his children, he was forced to leave and work abroad a year After they got married.
“Iyon ang plano namin, pero hindi kami naging maingat sa paghawak ng aming kita. Kung susumahin, sa 20 taon namalagi ang asawa ko sa abroad, ang tanging mapagmamalaki lang namin ay nakapagtapos angaming mga anak sa kanilang pag-aaral [That’s our plan but, unfortunately, we were not able to manage the money properly. In the 20 years that my husband worked abroad, the only thing we could boast about is that we were able to see through our children’s schooling],” she said.
Nanay Lina remembered that every time herhusband wenthome from abroad, they would go on a trip to spend all the money her husband earned. She also admitted taking up gambling. “Naging lulon din ako sa sugal. Tuwing umaga nagsusugal ako. Napabayaan ko rin ang aming puwesto sa palengke, nagtitinda ako noon ng mga damit. [I became addicted to gambling. I would gamble every morning. I was not able to attend to our market stall to sell clothes],” she said.
As a result of their expenses,they had no savings. What little money they had was only enough to set upoa small business of producing puto, kutsinta and bangus. She also sold coffee, milk, and soap to her neighbors.
“Nadaanan namin ang lahat ng hirap para mapag-aral ang aming mga anak. Hindi nakita ng aking asawa na lumaki sila. Ako ang naging ina at ama nila. Pero pinagmamalaki ko naman at napalaki ko ang aming mga anak ng maayos [We went through all kinds of struggle just to keep our children in school. My husband did not witness our children growing up. I served as their mother and father. But I am proud that I was able to raise them well],”she said.

A second chance
In order to try to boost their family income, Nanay Lita joined the buri bag making training under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) Livelihood Project for Vulnerable Urban Poor Communities (LVUC),with funding assistance from Japan Social Development.
“Mabuti at napasama ako sa proyekto, dahil tinutulungan namin paaralin ang aming mga apo [It is good that I was able to join this livelihood project, because we are helping our grandchildren in their studies],” she said.
Nanay Lita and Tatay Lito hope their livelihood project would encourage buyers to get products from them so they can earn more income in the future. “Kahit nag-uumpisa pa lang kami, pero lahat kaming 56 na natuto sa pag-gawa ng buri ay nangangarap nakumita at sana mas maraming bumili ng aming produkto [Although we just started with our project,all 56 volunteers hope that we can earn more income and we get more buyers],” she added.

The residents of Ligtong 3, Rosario, Cavite are currently organizing a cooperative to fully sustain the operation of their livelihood project from Kalahi-CIDSS to be able to more income.***