Sisi’s Community Center Sub-Project. The community volunteers and barangay officials of Sisi in Guinayangan, Quezon Province link their arms to show that working together is all that it takes to address the needs of their community. Behind them is the nearly-finished community center they are implementing under the DSWD’s Kalahi-CIDSS program.

The said project will serve as an evacuation center in times of disasters, especially for those residents living in the coastal part of the barangay. The community center, provided with a total grant of PhP426,259, is targeted to be completed by August.

*************************************************************************************************************

TEACHING THE VALUE OF SERVICE FOR THE COMMUNITY

As a mother, Richelda Llorente, 38, desires that her two children grow up with a compassionate heart and a sense of responsibility for their community.

All these years, she has taught these values through words. Today, however, she is glad that she has the chance to teach her children the most effective way—teaching them by example.

“Gusto kong matutunan nila ‘yung pagiging mapagbigay sa kapwa at kumikilos para matulungan ang mga nangangailangan. Kasi, kung walang mangunguna, sino pa ang gagawa at tutulong para sa ibang tao,” shared Richelda, a resident of Brgy. Sisi in Guinayangan, Quezon Province.

Richelda, a housewife, is an active volunteer of the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) program.

“Nung nalaman ko na nangangailangan ng volunteer, nasabi ko na lang, ‘Why not?’ Kung sa tingin ko naman na kaya ko, bakit hindi ko subukan para sa aming komunidad,” she shared.

The Kalahi-CIDSS, a poverty reduction program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), aims to empower ordinary citizens to engage in the local development process through implementing need-responsive projects in their communities. The residents or community volunteers are trained on proposal development, construction estimates, and community finance and procurement to equip them with skills in implementing their identified sub-projects.

Walking the talk

Richelda was elected to head the community volunteers in their barangay for the implementation of a community center sub-project in response to the barangay’s problem of evacuation centers in times of disasters.

Leading the community is not an easy task but Richelda is more eager than nervous to work for the improvement of their community.

“Ayaw na kasi naming maulit ang nangyari sa amin nung Glenda (referring to the tropical storm that hit the country last 2014). Siksikan lahat sa school dahil ‘yun lang ang lugar na meron kami para sa evacuation. Gusto na naming maging handa ngayon sa anumang disaster na darating,” she said.

As the head of volunteers, Richelda looks through the proposals, vouchers, and all the other documents needed for the sub-project. She also guides every volunteer along the way to ensure that they also learn and understand the implementation process.

“Mahalaga rin kasi na matuto sila para sa susunod, kaya na rin nilang manguna sa mga ganitong klaseng proyekto,” she added.

Currently, the community center is halfway constructed and is targeted to be completed by August. They have a total grant of PhP426,259 for its implementation.

“Ang sarap makita na unti-unti na naming naitatayo ang community center. Nakakapawi ng pagod at nakakatuwa na nakatulong kaming makalutas ng problema ng barangay,” shared Richelda with a smile.

Living the family values

Aside from Richelda, her husband Glenn also believes in helping the community. Glenn works as an enumerator for the DSWD’s ongoing Listahanan household assessment in their municipality.

The Listahanan is a database management system of the DSWD that identifies who and where the poor are in the country. The DSWD started the second round of household assessment this 2015 to update the list of poor households, which was generated last 2009. This list of poor households will be the basis for the selection of beneficiaries for the social protection programs of the Department and other national government agencies, civil society organizations and local government units.

According to Richelda, her husband goes to the remotest barangays in the municipality to reach every household. He even stays in the barangay for weeks as it is too far and inconvenient for him to go home every night.

“Nakakakaba kasi may mga araw na hindi namin siya nakakausap kahit sa tawag. Pero naiintindihan ko naman ang sitwasyon niya at suportado naman namin siya. Pareho lang din kami na gustong tumulong sa community. Sino pa ba ang kikilos kundi tayo,” she said.

Richelda is glad that she and her husband are able to live the values they teach to their children. With all the opportunities provided to them and the work they are doing right now, she believes that they have shown their children that serving the community even through the simplest of ways can be achieved. And for this, she wishes them to grow up with community service in their hearts as well.#