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SAN FERNANDO, Bukidnon – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services – National Community Driven Development (Kalahi CIDSS-NCDDP), in partnership with the Department of Education and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, conducted a joint Site Validation and Risk Assessment for the construction of a three-classroom school building in Sitio Kiranggol, Barangay Dao, San Fernando, Bukidnon on February 23-26, 2016.

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Department of Social Welfare and Development Kalahi-CIDSS Regional Community Infrastructure Specialist Engr. Roel Jumao-as plots out the perimeter for the site where the three-classroom building is to be built in Sitio Kiranggol, Barangay Dao, San Fernando, Bukidnon, during the actual Site Validation and Risk Assessment on February 25, 2016. This community sub-project is part of the Priority 1 area set for the Whole of Nation Initiative to help the Lumads in El Niño affected areas. Photo by Shaun Alejandrae Yap Uy, DSWD

San Fernando, Bukidnon is a Priority 1 area for the Whole of Nation Initiative implementation of the delivery of social services and relief operations for Lumads in El Niño affected areas. Sitio Kiranggol is roughly an 8-kilometer mountain trek from Dao Elementary School that serves as an entry point to the said sitio.

Kalahi-CIDSS Regional Community Infrastructure Specialist Engr. Roel Jumao-as said that the construction of a three-classroom building in Sitio Kiranggol “it’s challenging, medyo lisod ang paghatod sa mga materyales paingon sa Kiranggol kai dili accessible og salakyan ang lugar, bisan kabayo dili makaagi (it’s challenging, it’s quite difficult to move the construction materials to Kiranggol because the road is not accessible to vehicles, not even horses can pass through).”

Jumao-as also said that since there are haulers in the area, “mag-hire gyud og haulers para magsaka paingon sa Kiranggol, ang ilang pangayo pag-alsa sa isa ka bag nga semento pasaka naa sa 400 paingon 500 pesos (there is a need to hire haulers to get to Kiranggol, the haulers are asking from 400 to 500 pesos per cement bag to be hauled to the sitio).”

Tribal leaders and the community members of Sitio Kiranggol, Barangay Dao, San Fernando, Bukidnon help out in clearing out the grassy field at the future site of the three-classroom building as part of the Whole of Nation Initiative to help Lumads in El Niño affected areas. Photo by Shaun Alejandrae Yap Uy, DSWD

Kiranggol Sitio Chairman Lestino Likawan enthused addressing the crowd, “kitang tanan magpasalamat kai niabot sila diri sa atong Sitio Kiranggol bisan tuod og layo, mao na cguro kini ang tuman sa atong pangandoy nga edukasyon alang sa atong mga kabataan, kinahanglan kitang tanan magtinabangay ug maghiusa aron dunay katumanan sa atong pangandoy (we all are grateful that they reached Sitio Kiranngol even if it is far, this is perhaps the answer to our dream of education for our children, we all need to work together and unite to accomplish this dream).”

San Fernando will have a total construction of 22 classrooms distributed to 5 barangays to be completed by June 2016 while the rest of the priority 2 and 3 areas will commence with the social preparations within the first quarter and 2nd semester (after elections) respectively.

While San Fernando will be of top priority, areas are also included in other parts of Bukidnon which include the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia, Impasugong, Kabanglasan, Kadingilan, Kitaotao, Lantapan, Malitbog, and Quezon. Iligan City of Lanao del Norte, Claveria and Gingoog City are also identified as key areas for the implementation of the project. This translates into a total of 28 barangays and 82 classrooms for Region 10 alone.

Regions 9, 11, 12, and 13 will also undertake this initiative and will give us an overview of a total of 605 classrooms in 251 sites.

Written by Shaun Alejandrae Yap Uy, DSWD