For Reynaldo Enaje Jr., there is no defeat if one does not lose the determination to win.
In 2013, Reynaldo and the rest of the villagers of Brgy. Laurel in Tagkawayan, Quezon Province fought to have an electrification project in their barangay. Together with the residents from the other 44 barangays of the said town, they presented their proposed project to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for possible funding through its program Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).
Unfortunately, their proposed electrification project was not prioritized for funding. The project costs around PhP5 Million, which is too much for the program to support.
“Tanggap na rin namin kasi kung kami ang na-prioritize, wala nang matitirang pondo para sa ibang barangay na may pangangailangan din. Kaya hinayaan na lang namin na mas maraming makinabang sa pondo kesa masolo namin lahat ng ito,” shared Reynaldo.
But this defeat did not stop them from achieving their goal for the barangay. Since they have already prepared the needed documents and permits for the project through the workshops and trainings they had in Kalahi-CIDSS, they went to their electric distributor and requested assistance for the installation.
In October 2014, Brgy. Laurel has benefitted through the Sitio Electrification Program of the government.
According to Reynaldo, the electrification in their barangay has helped cut the expenses of every household. They no longer need to go to the nearest area with electricity to charge their lamps and batteries every day. From PhP15 a day charging expenses, they now only spend PhP70 a month for their household’s electric consumption.
“Malaki talaga ang role ng Kalahi sa pagkakaroon ng kuryente sa aming lugar. Dahil sa mga turo nila sa amin, natupad namin ang napakatagal nang pangarap ng aming mga ninuno – ang magkaroon ng kuryente sa aming lugar,” Reynaldo shared.
Another opportunity
Also last year, Brgy. Laurel has been given an opportunity to implement a cycle of the Kalahi-CIDSS program. With their previous experiences with the program, Reynaldo has become more determined to work under Kalahi-CIDSS in service for their community.
“Alam ko kasing kayang maibigay ng Kalahi ang mga pangangailangan ng barangay namin. Kaya ‘di ako nagdalawang isip na mag-volunteer. Alam kong ang pagtulong ko ay may malaking ambag sa ikabubuti ng pamumuhay ng mga tao dito sa amin,” shared Reynaldo, who also served as the head of volunteers in their community.
For this program cycle, the community residents proposed to repair their barangay road which is damaged because of frequent flooding in the area. They also planned to build line canals to control the flow of water every time the rain pours.
To do this, the residents were trained on proposal development, construction estimates, and community finance and procurement. After processing all the documents needed and purchasing the construction materials, they took turns in working on the construction of their road.
As the head of volunteers, Reynaldo is on top of managing the volunteers throughout the implementation. He admitted that he had easily mobilized the people because he almost knew all of the residents of their barangay by being a beneficiary of another DSWD program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. It even helped that his wife Mary Jane is a Pantawid Pamilya parent leader in their community.
“Nagkakakilala kami dahil sa buwanang pag-attend namin ng FDS (Family Development Sessions). Kaya noong kinailangan na malinis ang lugar kung saan itatayo ang kalsada, nahikayat namin ang mga Pantawid members na tumulong. Sa loob ng apat na araw, nagtanggal kami ng mga damo at nalinis namin ang kahabaan na iyon. Lahat ng ‘yon community service,” shared Mary Jane.
Reynaldo’s family has been a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilya program for five years now. For them, the grant they receive has been a big help to sustain the needs of the family, especially for the health and educational needs of their two children.
“Sapat lang ang kinikita ko sa pangingisda. Minsan, hindi ko pa ito naibababa at naibebenta agad sa bayan dahil napakahirap ng kalsada. Kaya napakalaking tulong talaga ng mga programa ng DSWD sa’min kasi unti-unting nagkakaroon ng mga solusyon ang mga problema,” said Reynaldo.
Built with pure dedication
Last May 2015, the repair of their barangay road was completed. Fishermen like Reynaldo including other farmers and vendors in the area now have an easy travel to the market. Further, students can walk safely to school because of the new road.
“Napakagandang tignan ng proyekto namin. Puso kasi ang ginamit sa pagbuo nito. Tulong-tulong ang lahat para magkaroon ng magandang kalsada,” Reynaldo shared smiling.
For Reynaldo, that moment in 2013 has been the greatest lesson for all of them. He believes that the experience enlightened each and every one of them to work for their community and change the fate of their barangay. For him, it was actually the defeat that paved their way to success.#