Tuhog

DSWD empowers communities through assistance, livelihood, volunteerism

The Municipality of Pangantucan in the Province of Bukidnon is home to vast natural resources in the region. However, poverty is still among the recurring concerns of the communities.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provides services and programs for these poor communities. Since 2009, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the DSWD provided augmentation in monetary form to poor households with children 18 years below. This is to provide them an opportunity to continue and complete their basic education, as the most common concern for families is the lack of finances to send their young learners to school – this, despite the free basic education through public schools – since there are still financial needs like school supplies, transportation, and nutritional needs of the children.

The DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), on the other hand, provides the necessary livelihood assistance to community associations in the barangay level. This is through the micro-enterprise track and employment facilitation.

The empowerment component is brought about the DSWD’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) National Community-Driven Development Program which inculcates the spirit of volunteerism.

Evelyn Secadron Alampayan, married to Nilo Alampayan, and is a mother of five, from Barangay Pigtauranan, Pangantucan, Bukidnon. Evelyn is the current president of the 4Ps Parent Leaders Association of Pangantucan.

All of Evelyn’s children are in school, the eldest being now in college and the youngest in the elementary.

“Nakakat-on gyud mi gumikan sa mga trainings ug seminars para sa mga parent leaders, naay mga trainings nga para mahimo kang epektibo ug maayo nga lider,” said Evelyn.

Evelyn also discussed how this poverty alleviation program has provided opportunities to let families improve their level of wellbeing – in such aspects as finance, nutrition, health, and education.

Evelyn took these learning to heart as she was selected to lead their community’s SLP association as the president.

“Sa first namo nga grupo, mao tong beads work making, amo na gyud nang nakita kung unsa gyud ang natabang sa among mga pamilya, ang gi-kapital namo sa grupo kay ang P1,000, naa mi traynta ka miyembro so P30,000 karon, naa pa among tindahan nagbarog pa ang among individual mao ang P4,000 nga among gi-negosyo sa beads work,” said Evelyn.

The second batch of association’s beneficiaries has now ventured into fish farming; members now include the Indigenous People’s of Pigtauranan, even the tribe elders are now involved in the venture. Mainly, the association is cultivating Tilapia within Lake Napalit in Pigtauranan, Pangantucan, Bukidnon.

“Ang pirmero namong harvest sa fish cage ni halin kini’g P11,000.00 sa isa ka cage lang. Kana nga kwarta amo gyud na gi deposito, amo na gi-tigom kay gusto namo nga humanon jud pag harvest kay upat man ka cage. Mahuman ang isa ka cage ayha dayon namo totalon ug pila among i-rollback pod sa bangko ug pila pod amo ihatag nga share sa mga membro, para ma encourage pod sila nga mapadayon ang grupo,” she said.

As a way of giving back to the community, Evelyn has chaired the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee since 2015 where the community has completed a Bottom-Up Budgeting project of a Day Care Center, a Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP funded 1 Unit – Two Classroom school building, a barangay access road and the upcoming solar-powered lighting system for the barangay. (dswd x)