Journalists were invited to tour the village recently and witnessed the cooperation and success of the project now benefiting hundreds of mostly farmers.
Village leaders said the locals were not only recipients of government programs and services, but also helping in nation building.
Although family feud and clan wars erupted in the past in West Migpulao, village officials said the violence did not hinder the locals to unite and work together for the realization of the project.
Volunteers, who helped in the project, originally planned to make clean water accessible to as many families as possible for just a small funding of P1.4 million, but local officials said the project has benefited more that what was expected because of assistance of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the KALAHI CIDDS program.
KALAHI-CIDDS which stands for Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Basic Services: Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (Village) is a government poverty reduction scheme implemented by the DSWD with funding support from the World Bank.
"Originally we planned 15 common tap stands or water faucets for the entire village, but because of everybody’s help and persistence, we were able to put up 27,” said, Alberto Mantisa.
How it started
The West Migpulao Water Project started in 2005. "Through the KALAHI CIDDS Program of the DSWD, we were given the chance to take charge of our own concerns as mere residents; this is the first time that we led our village by planning and working for a goal that will cater to the welfare of our community," said Rodrigo Guira, head of the local project committee.
Aside from organizing the community, Guira said, they attended assemblies and held dialogues with the villagers. They elected their own officers to do various functions, such as accounting.
"We have learned the trade and did our functions according to the expectations that we had set for ourselves," he said.
Empowered and ready to face the task ahead. The community prioritized the project they wanted and it was not easy for them because it was only one of the many they needed in the village.
The town mayor, Wilfredo Asoy, donated P200,000 and the village also gave 240,000 as its counterpart and provided manpower to finish the project. The KALAHI CIDDS shouldered the rest of the funding.
Sustainability In Their Hands
Each household pay a minimal fee of around 12.50 pesos per cubic meter for water consumption and like a cooperative, there are also due dates wherein the household should follow to assure prompt payments.
A treasurer and accountant make sure that the money collected is properly documented.They also hired plumbers to make sure that the tap stands are all the time in working condition. Complaints are also handled through a redress system and consultation.
The Challenges
"I can never forget the time when one of our volunteers who lived far off was killed while walking home after our meeting in the village. We felt it was as a setback because one never thinks that something like that could happen but despite this, we were able to continue and believe in what we are doing," said Francisco Kahanap, a community volunteer.
The Rewards
Hard work and perseverance paid off and for the residents of West Migpulao, nothing is more plausible than an access to clean water for everybody.
"I am very happy now that we have common faucets outside our houses. Now we no longer need to walk far to go to the river or to the water well,” said villager Emillia Nacua. "If I have the choice, however, I would really like to have a faucet inside our house, but for now this is much more a blessing and maybe we could have our own faucet someday."
Ready For More In The Future
Village officials said they would welcome more development projects and that the residents are ready to help.
"We are always ready for new things. We want to have day care centers for our children and health centers and farm-to-market roads and chapels, maybe in the future,” Alberto Mantisa said.
Before KALAHI-CIDSS sub-projects are implemented, volunteers undergo training and seminars to do the job of budget officers, bookkeepers, and engineers.
Ordinary folk learn how to draft a program-of-work and read floor plans. The community evaluates its needs and submits a project proposal to the municipal forum and is submitted to DSWD for funding. (Mindanao Examiner)
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