Lubuagan is a 4th class municipality in Kalinga province composed of nine barangays and boasts of a rich Cordillera culture and scenic environment. Despite its lush environment, the landscape of Lubuagan makes it a disaster risk area.
According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau’s (MGB) list of identified areas susceptible to landslides released in 2021, among the 32 barangays listed in Kalinga were in the municipalities of Balbalan, Pasil, Rizal, Pinukpuk, Tinglayan, and Lubuagan. Specifically, Barangay Upper Uma in Lubuagan is deemed as vulnerable to high landslide incidents.
This was affirmed by Upper Uma Barangay Captain Jeremy Anton as he shared with the team of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) #Kwento ng Pag-Asa at Pagbabago (#KPAP) that during typhoons and heavy rains, residents seek shelter from the only church in the community and in the day care center. Both facilities, however, were not spacious enough to accommodate all those displaced by disasters.
Thus, the community lost no time in proposing for the construction of a safe and adequate evacuation center when personnel of the DSWD’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) came into their municipality.
Under the KALAHI-CIDSS program, community members in the barangay are empowered and given the capacity to identify their own needs and propose for the responsive project, as well as implement it.
DSWD Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) Community Empowerment Facilitator (CEF) Mary Grace Crisologo shared that through the program, the agency empowers the community through the community driven development (CDD) strategy.
“Ang KALAHI-CIDSS ay nag e-empower ng mga barangay, tinuturuan natin sila through CDD approach para ma-improve ang quality of life nung mga nasa barangay, nakararanas sila ng poverty. Ngayon, yung poverty, gusto natin bawasan kaya nagpupunta ang KALAHI-CIDSS doon para tignan kung anong interventions ang pwedeng gawin doon,” CEF Crisologo told #KPAP.
Upon approval of the proposed construction of the Php2.9 million evacuation center, the community members lost no time in implementing the project.
Haste proved to be important in building the center as typhoons and heavy rains can come anytime. The community needed the evacuation center to safeguard the people against the threats of these disasters.
Through the bayanihan of more than 200 volunteers, the construction of the evacuation center began in January 2024 and was completed in July of the same year.
“Inimplement natin agad ang project na ito dahil kapag umuulan at bumabagyo, nahihirapan po kaming mag evacuate lalo na yong mga malapit sa creek. Nagbayanihan po kami, kahit wala pong sahod. Sa amin sa barangay Uma, tulong tulong po yan, nagvo-volunteer po, babae man o lalaki,” Brgy. Captain Anton said.
Showing their dedication to the project, women volunteers gladly did whatever they could to help complete the construction on time.
One of the volunteers, Faith Romaraog, said: “Ako po ay nagtry magbuhat ng steel bar, naghalo po ng semento at nagbuhat din ng tubig.”
Empowered through the KALAHI-CIDSS program, the community of Barangay Upper Uma now has a sturdy and safe evacuation center which serves as their temporary home during disasters.
Barangay Chief Anton and the community members expressed their gratitude to the DSWD and to the KALAHI-CIDSS for capacitating them to be part of development and by granting them the funds for the project.
They also thanked the Lubuagan local officials for their assistance to make the project possible.
Barangay Chief Anton thanked his co-community members who participated in the project identification, development, and implementation of the center, which the community also uses for the conduct of their activities.
The village chief stressed that their unity significantly contributed to the immediate completion of the evacuation center.
Aside from the evacuation center, the KALAHI-CIDSS program paved the way for the construction of their solar powered light posts.
The #KPAP is a joint production of the Traditional Media Service (TMS) and the Digital Media Service (DMS) which are under the Strategic Communications. It is hosted by Director Aldrine Fermin of the TMS and is posted every Tuesday on the DSWD’s official Facebook page. #