SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA, in partnership with the local government unit, marks the start of the construction of multi-purpose facilities granted to two Mangyan Indigenous People (IP) communities in San Jose.
Barangays Monteclaro and Naibuan proposed building, an infrastructure in their community worth P1.2 million each, that will serve as shelter for traveling IPs and their produce, and meetinghouse.
The fund comprised the KALAHI grant and in-kind donations from the municipal and barangay local government units.
Naibuan Barangay Kagawad Saldy Gan-uyan said that their barangay hall could not accommodate all the native merchants from far-flung sitios who stop at their area, hence, their need for a multi-purpose hall.
“Dapat talaga, may sarili kaming balay dasungan, yung tiripunan na kung may katribo kami na galing sa bundok na may produktong dala, pwede namin silang patuluyin doon,” he said.
(We need our balay dasungan at tiripunan so that when our tribe members come down from the mountains bringing produce, they will have a place to stay.)
The beneficiaries emphasized that without a place to stay, the products of native merchants would be damaged and unmarketable.
“Kaya po kawawa po ang katribo namin. Imbis po na magkakaroon ng pera, hindi na po,” Barangay Naibuan Development Council – Technical Working Group chairperson Elen P. Baylan said.
Marlon T. Mayo, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairperson in Barangay Monteclaro, expressed their gratitude for becoming part of the process of making the infrastructure possible in their community.
“Isang karangalan po sa amin dito sa barangay na isa po sa napili ng KALAHI CIDSS under ng DSWD. First time ko po na maging BAC chairman, at dito nalaman ko na ‘yung proseso po pala hindi po madali, step-by-step po pala yung pag-provide ng ganitong proyekto,” Mayo said.
(It is an honor for our barangay to be chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS. This is my first time as a BAC chairman, and I learned that providing this type of grant is not easy, and is done step-by-step.)
Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan or KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA is one of the poverty-alleviation projects of the government that uses a community-driven development (CDD) approach where the beneficiaries, called community volunteers (CV), take charge of the sub-project from the decision-making, planning, and execution.
In San Jose, the primary lead for the procurement process is the Barangay BAC. This became an opportunity for barangay officials to be trained on good governance, in line with the KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA’s goal as explained by Engr. Villamor C. Racca Jr. of DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA.
The construction of both facilities is expected to be completed by November.
Officials of the municipal LGU were present during the activity, led by Mayor Rey C. Ladaga, and DSWD SWADT Shiela Sarabia. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA – Occidental Mindoro)
Related story: https://www.pia.gov.ph/occidental-mindoro-village-bac-members-trained-on-govt-procurement-process/
