Kauswagan was one of the municipalities in Lanao del Norte that suffered in the “all-out-war” in the year 2000. After the fateful event and atrocities, Kauswagan has now emerged as a thriving municipality in terms of agriculture and business. Community volunteers in Barangay Tingintingin, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte addressed the low rate of Arabic learning in their area by constructing a Madrasah (which means a “place where learning and studying take place”) through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s poverty-alleviation program Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services: National Community Driven Development Program (KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP). Barangay Tingintingin is an upland community, 5 kilometers from the Poblacion and about 40 minutes travel by land with a mix of Muslim-Christian population.  The residents’ main source of income is farming. The Madrasah was completed in 2013 with a total project cost of Php 363,700.00 (PAMANA Php 300,000.00 and Barangay Local Government Unit local counterpart contribution of Php 63,700.00).

Photo by Shaun Alejandrae Yap Uy, DSWD