MOTIONG, Samar- Residents of a remote barangay of this town are now enjoying projects initiated by the national government.
Funded under the Kalahi-CIDSS (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Service) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Brgy. New Minarong has now its own day care center, flood control project, water system and a rice mill.
New Minarong, a village farm which has a population of 377 people, is 2.3 kilometers away from the town proper and with poor road condition reason why services and even projects are hard to come by to the village.
Elizabeth Paculaba, president of the New Minarong Rice Mill Association, said that the rice mill project is not only benefitting their own farmers but even those coming from other barangays of the town.
“The rice mill helps us a lot. It did not only ease our burden from transporting our palay to the town proper and reducing the wastage of palay but also provides additional income to us. That is why we are thankful to Kalahi-CIDSS for granting us this project,” Paculaba said.
Kalahi-CIDSS is a community-driven development project of the government wherein communities and their local government units (LGUs) are trained to choose, design and implement sub-projects that aim to address problem on poverty.
Paculaba said that since they started to operate their rice mill in 2014, they have generated an income of P100,000.
The group has also resorted to lending money among its members with a five percent interest. This lending scheme has earned them P80,000 which they kept in a bank.
Meantime, the water system put up by the Kalahi-CIDSS is considered by resident Anita Paculaba to have the biggest impact to the community.
The water system provides the community a safe drinking water.
Before the tap stand water system was constructed, residents of the village have to travel for about 15 minutes to get potable water.
Town Mayor Renato Cabael said that he is thankful for the projects put up under the Kalahi-CIDSS in his town.
Cabael, who is serving on his first term, said that all the 30 barangays of the town benefited projects under the Kalahi-CIDSS.
He, however, said that they still need more assistance from the government especially for road constructions leading to remote villages of the town. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)