Surigao del Sur is known for its abundant marine and aquaculture sector. With this, producing seafood and sea by-products became the province’s vital source of livelihood.

Unfortunately, there are still communities in the province that do not have easy access to ocean food and other by-products. People residing in these areas have to spend a slightly hefty amount just on transportation in order to buy fish at the town proper.

Purok 4, Barangay Hinapoyan in the municipality of Carmen is one of the communities in the province that has experienced this circumstance. The community is located 5 kilometers away from the town proper and on top of that, the supply of fish in the area is scarce as well.

Because of the community’s situation, this pushed the members of the Mabungahon-Mauswagon Sustainable Livelihood Program Association (SLPA) to propose a Tilapia Production project. The association members shared that they preferred the project because it would be very beneficial to the community and it can help the residents save money because they do not have to go to the town proper anymore to buy fish.

The SLPA also deemed this project to be sustainable and feasible because they have no competition in the community yet, as they are the first ones to have this type of livelihood in their area.

Hence, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) SLP, the SLPA was granted with their proposed project amounting to Php375,000.00. The project was officially turned over to their care on July 04, 2020. The activity was attended by the Local Government Unit (LGU)of Carmen, Barangay Local Government Unit (BLGU)of Hinapoyan, and DSWD-SLP field staff.

On the same day, the Mabungahon-Mauswagon SLPA also had their first harvest of Tilapia.

Further, the residents and the SLPA members expressed their elation and gratitude to the program for hearing out their concern and providing their community with an additional source of income. Mabungahon-Mauswagon SLPA President Concordio R. Tejol promised that he and other members of the association will nurture the project to ensure its sustainability and so as not to put it into waste.

“Kami mapasalamaton sa Ginoo kay Iya kami gihatagan og grasya nga mamahimong benepisaryo sa proyekto. Kami mapasalamaton usab sa DSWD Sustainable Livelihood Program sa paghatag sa amo og oportunidad aron makatagamtam og livelihood project. Kini amo pagaamomahon aron mulambo ug mamahimong mabungahon ug mauswagon (We are grateful to the Lord for He has given us a blessing to become the beneficiaries of this project. Also, we are very thankful to the DSWD Sustainable Livelihood Program for giving us the opportunity to have this livelihood project. We promise to tend to this project very well to make it fruitful and successful),” Tejol said.

Even though the project has already been handed over to the SLPA, the DSWD-SLP will still continue to monitor the progresses made by the association. Meanwhile, the LGU Carmen also committed that they will also do their part in guiding the association by providing them support and technical assistance. BLGU Hinapoyan has also guaranteed that they will assist the association in any way they can.

The Mabungahon-Mauswagon SLPA is composed of 25 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) members – 11 of which belonging to the Indigenous Peoples (IP) sector. #