DAET, Camarines Norte (PIA) – Barangay Singi in Vinzons town relies heavily on the production of agricultural products, the main source of livelihood for 460 families in the village.
Singi is one of the 23 barangays in Camarines Norte that are targeted under the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP), which aimed at supporting the government’s End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) initiative.
Most of the target areas are far-flung barangays with potential for armed conflict.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and partner agencies will conduct immersion activities, meetings, and solution-seeking dialogues, as well as a ‘serbisyo’ caravan from May 21 until June of this year.
The projects and programs identified during the dialogue will be implemented in partnership with several national agencies.
“Ang nakikita naming kailangan ay concrete pathway na kahit habal-habal ay makakadaan para dalhin ang aming produkto gaya ng palay, prutas at gulay,’’ Singi Punong Barangay Helen Almacin said during the security briefing of the RCSP held Friday, May 2 , in Daet.
(What we see as a need is a concrete pathway that even motorcycle taxis can pass through to transport our products like rice, fruits, and vegetables.)
Almacin said that an inter-barangay concrete pathway will ease the burden, especially the expenses, for farmers when bringing their products to the public market.
She said that they also considered solar lights because there are no streetlights in their village.
Barangay San Vicente chieftain Beberlyn Potes said that she was positive the program could help them, especially with the 3 kilometers of farm-to-market road that needs to be finished.
She said that most of the 220 families in their barangay rely on farming rice and coconuts, while others are laborers.
Potes added that short-circuit television or CCTV cameras would also be a great help if approved, as video surveillance system would help them monitor events and potential criminality in the village.
DILG Provincial Director Melody Relocio thanked the full attendance of the 23 village heads, saying it affirmed their support for the RCSP.
The Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) under the RCSP implemented 25 and 20 projects in 2021 and 2022, respectively, achieving 100 percent completion for both years. In 2023, SBDP projects reached 98 percent completion, with 73 out of 83 projects finished.
The SBDP projects implemented included farm-to-market roads, level 2 water systems, school buildings, health centers, and streetlights, among others, as identified by barangay officials and communities in the target areas. (PIA Camarines Norte)
