CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga(PIA)-- A drainage canal with slope protection project in sitio Gaogao, Barangay Dupag in Tabuk City benefits  around 90 households, and the community’s elementary school as it protects against erosion during rainy days.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Kalinga turned over the project  on March 26, 2024.

A sub-project under the DSWD’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA), it was implemented using the program’s community-driven development strategy.

Everyone in the community was involved from conceptualization to implementation, according to DSWD-Kalinga area coordinator Chan Keith B. Patongao.

“Na-empower tayo ti community nu kasanu agaramid ti proposal, nu kasanu makisalamuha ti kakastuy nga projects, tapnu ammu da nu anya ti flow ti project ti government,” Patongao said.

[We empowered the community how to make proposal, how to collaborate with this kind of projects  so that they know the flow of government projects.]

“One of the guidelines is to empower women tapnu haan lang nga lallaki ti agpar-participate,” he added.  Women were actually among the laborers.

Barangay Dupag was covered by the KALAHI-CIDSS-PAMANA program as one of the identified insurgency-cleared  barangays by the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

Dupag punong barangay Marco M. Pagtud conveyed the community’s gratitude for the project as it addresses one of their infrastructure needs.

“Dakkel ti maitulong na ta daytuy maysa kasapulan mi ket daytuy protection na daytuy eskwelaan dituy baba ta nu adda iti dakkel nga tudu kanayun piman nga malayos ket isu ti po-problemaen ti PTCA nga tatrabahuen. So it is a big help to the barangay of Dupag,” he said.