“Daghang salamat sa suporta ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), local government unit (LGU), ug barangay. Malipayon kaayo mi sa among bag-ong dalan, mas sayon ug luwas na ang among pagbiyahe,” Lina Berongoy said after seeing the newly-concreted access road in Sitio Mahayag in Barangay Luan, Candijay, Bohol.

(Thank you very much for the support of DSWD, LGU, and barangay. We are very happy with our new road; it is now easier and safer to travel.)

Lina, 62, remembers how the delivery truck carrying materials for the concreting of the access road under the DSWD’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) program nearly conked-out because of the dilapidated road in their barangay.

“It took a concerted community effort to ensure the delivery was completed,” Lina said as she recalled her similar unfortunate experience on the same untarred road.

Lina and her husband figured in a road accident while heading back home after attending a mass one Sunday afternoon. The rain from the previous night had turned the already treacherous dirt roads into a muddy trap.

As her husband drove the motorcycle, the wheel got stuck in the mud. The sudden jolt caused Lina to fall off, and she came dangerously close to being run over by the bike.

Lina found herself unable to lift her left arm and had difficulty moving her thighs. The poor road conditions also delayed the arrival of the rescuers.

Due to the deplorable transportation infrastructure, Lina depended on alternative medicine instead of travelling to the hospital. She resorted to “hilot,” a traditional Filipino massage healing method. After enduring more than a month of suffering, Lina’s pain subsided, but the accident left her emotionally scarred.

Rather than doing nothing, Lina participated in the DSWD’s Kalahi-CIDSS program in their community. Her family joined her in this project, with her husband and son contributing their carpentry skills to build the much-needed access road in 42 days.

“The road was crucial for the community. It connected this to the market, schools, and the town, and its poor condition has resulted in numerous accidents,” Lina pointed out.

The DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS program has transformed Sitio Mahayag and enabled its residents to take charge of their development and turn a tragic event into a story of community-driven success.

Lina’s journey from being a victim to a staunch advocate of development exemplifies the power of local initiative and the profound impact of targeted and community-led projects.

The Kalahi-CIDSS is a community driven development program of the DSWD that aims to empower communities in targeted poor and disaster-affected municipalities to achieve improved access to services and to participate in a more inclusive local planning, budget implementation, and disaster risk reduction and management. #