The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga have officially turned over an 18-bed capacity collapsible tent for quarantine facility to a remote village of San Luis municipality, Agusan del Sur province.

The said subproject is funded through the KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA IP-CDD for the indigenous people of Barangay San Pedro, which is part of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) 250, an ancestral land of the Manobo and Banwaon people.

DSWD Caraga OIC-Regional Director handed the subproject, which costs Php933,936, to the local government unit of San Luis last Sept. 13.

The collapsible tent is installed in the barangay’s multi-purpose hall and is cordoned using a tarpaulin to deter kids or any persons from entering the quarantine vicinity.

The project includes two hand wash stands, a water dispenser, and a restroom for male and female individuals.

Each room is complete with a folding bed, mat, foam, pail and dipper, table and chair, and a trash bin.

During the turnover, municipal and barangay officials were thankful for the project, saying it would be a big help for them to address needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sa pila ka barangay sa probinsya sa Agusan Sur, magpasalamat ta kay ang Barangay San Pedro nga kita isa nga naka-avail ani nga proyekto sa KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA (We are very much thankful that Barangay San Pedro is one of the recipients of the KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA project out of the many barangays in the province of Agusan del Sur),” Municipal Councilmember Ely Yecyec said.

“Dili sab nato kalimtan [og pasalamat] ang mga community volunteers. Kay kung wala ang mga volunteers dili gyud ma-realize kini nga project (We should also not forget to thank our community volunteers who made it possible for this project to be realized),” Yecyec added.

The subproject, which is under Batch 3 Cycle 1 of the program, was completed last July 19, 2021, just a little over a month after it was started on June 2.

“Kini nga facility tugma lang sa atong sitwasyon karun tungod kay pandemic man. Kung mo-abot ang panahon kung makagawas na kita sa pandemya, kini nga facility pwede gihapon gamiton as evacuation facility sa panahon nga adunay katalagman (This facility is appropriate in our situation right now. And when the pandemic is over, this facility could still be used as evacuation center during disasters/calamities),” Director Jamen said.

On the other hand, Barangay San Pedro chairperson Willy G. Manlicayan and tribal leader Leonil M. Mansomangcay said they will take good care of the project.

KALAHI-CIDSS or the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services is one of the poverty alleviation programs of the government being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). KALAHI-CIDSS uses CDD (Community-Driven Development) as the over-all community development approach and strategy. The CDD approach ensures that development priorities are addressed in a participatory, collective, inclusive, and in demand-driven way.