Butuan City- Barangays Anticala, and Pianing, specifically sitios Mahayahay and Catabwanan, of Butuan City inaugurated recently the day care center projects, identified and implemented by ordinary citizens in the said barangay.

“With the intervention of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga, these projects were made possible through empowering local citizens by letting them articulate the causes of their poverty problems and equipping them through trainings for project implementation,” mentioned Regional Planning Officer Jean Paul Parajes, who represented Regional Director Minda Brigoli, during the turn-over ceremony.

Parajes clarified that DSWD allotted Php 1,300,000 for the said projects from the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Process (GPBP) fund.

“These GPBP projects of Anticala and Pianing made use of the Community-Driven Development (CDD) strategy of the DSWD’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS),” added Parajes.

Moral Recovery Program Officer Pastor Charlie Prior, representative of City Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr., disclosed the partnership of city local government unit (CLGU) of Butuan with DSWD in this endeavor through the provision of technical assistance and a local counterpart contribution (LCC) amounting to Php 250,000 (rough estimate).

“This early childhood care project will be the landmark in your place of the feat of our unity,” Pastor Prior remarked.

“The CDD process is really an example of the true meaning of democracy wherein people, even those marginalized IP sectors, get the privilege to lead the implementation of their needed community facilities, which one way or another, address their problems of poverty,” expressed Anticala Punong Barangay Armando Boligol.

Tribal Chieftain Ruben Dapeniagan, or Hawudon Buhay, also expressed his thanks to the national and local governments for the day care center project that he, and his fellow villagers received.

“It is in our capability trainings and seminars that we have pondered that education really matters, and so, most concerned people in this village participated for this to be realized.” Hawudon Buhay said.

“This Project realized the plans and visions of the Tribe. It will address the problem of education in this sitio,” he added.

Pianing Tribal Chieftain and also Barangay Project Management Committee (BPMC) chairperson Edbert Javier, or Hawudon Subangan, shared that before the Project started, their community dreamt of a day care center since they are in a far-flung location.

“It was not easy to be a volunteer, we had undergone many difficulties especially in the transportation of materials since the supplier’s equipment has to pass in the three (3) rivers and need to traverse a muddy and rocky road.” emotionally shared Hawudon Subangan.

“Our efforts as volunteers finally paid off. Now, our children have a comfortable and conducive place for them to be educated at their early age and the parents can focus in their livelihood works.” he proudly expressed.

“Because we actively participated in the development works in the community, we can bravely say, KAYA NAMIN ANG PAGBABAGO!” he concluded###(KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP/Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga)