Forty members of the Dumagat tribe in Brgy. Puray in Rodriguez, Rizal Province had completed the trail renovation project providing better access to their tribal community. This project is identified by the beneficiaries of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) for Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the said town.

The MCCT is a component of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program that targets tribal communities in far-flung areas. The program provides conditional cash grants to beneficiaries and allows them to access the government’s social protection programs, particularly in improving their access to health, nutrition, sanitation and education services.

Besides the cash grants, the beneficiaries are also linked to various livelihood opportunities such as cash-for-work, cash-for-training, micro-enterprise assistance and employment facilitation.

The renovation of the trail, which includes labor intensive activities such as cutting and trimming of debris obstructing the trail, site cleaning and removal of rocks, is one of the interventions of the DSWD Field Office IV-A for the Dumagat-beneficiaries of the said program.

All 40 participants in the renovation worked under the DSWD’s cash-for-work scheme, which provides temporary employment to the beneficiaries while giving them opportunities to improve their community.

Under the cash-for-work scheme, the beneficiaries are paid PhP250.00 a day for a total of 15 days.

The renovation of the trail, which connects the tribal community in Sitio Quinao to Brgy. Puray, is seen by the residents as an important project to help the tribe for a more convenient and safer access to social services.

“Dati, mahirap ang daan lalo na sa pagdadala ng mga kalakal sa bayan. Pero dahil sa mas maayos, malinis at malawak na daan, hindi na namin kailangang dumaan sa ilog,” said Dante Ursal, a beneficiary of the MCCT who now takes advantage of the new trail in transporting goods such as charcoal, fish and shrimp to the market.

Ursal added that this is a big help for the rest of the residents in their community. The better access to and from their community also enables them to continuously earn for their families.

“Kapag maulan, tumataas na ang tubig sa ilog. Hindi na kami makadaan at naapektuhan ang aming hanapbuhay,” Ursal said.

To date, there are 356 Dumagat-beneficiaries of the MCCT for IPs in Rizal Province. Seventy of this number is from Rodriguez town.# with reports from LCabanos