A speck of hope: A community’s dream is coming true By: Shaun Alejandrae Y. Uy
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Sitio Kiranggol, Barangay Dao, is roughly a 6-hour open-trail climb into the rain forests of San Fernando.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with the Department of Education (DepED) and National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), led the joint site validation of a proposed 3-classroom school building to be
constructed through the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services – National Community Driven Development (Kalahi CIDSS-NCDDP). This is part of the Whole of Nation Initiative intervention for Lumads in
El Niño affected areas, particularly in the Province of Bukidnon. Kiranggol (Kiranggel) means a “place of convergence” where other tribes meet to do trade or festivities according to Alde “Botsoy” Salusad, the sitio’s peace keeper and whose family ancestry claims the land. San Fernando, Bukidnon is home to two indigenous tribes namely the Matigsalugs and Tigwahanons. Kiranggol has been reportedly marred by past insurgent influences and gold mining. According to residents, the sitio used to have a lot of residents and mine workers – chaos then escalated which drove out the residents and workers but a few came back to the community. In a conversation with “Commander Botsoy,” he said that the community that now thrives in Kiranggol has only been around for three years. However, the young community already boosts some businesses in the area despite the fact that the sitio is only accessible by trekking through open-mountain-trail – and only by humans. Even horses would have a difficult time traversing the cliffs and the steep peaks. In Kiranggol, there are sari-sari stores, a karinderya (food house), billiard halls and karaoke houses. Supplies are brought to the place by “haulers” and usually one hauler can carry about a 50 kilogram load at the very least – and will charge about 500 pesos to a thousand (or more) depending on the load. With this, one
could expect the higher prices of the commodities just like the 1.5 liter softdrink would that costs P150. The place is powered by electricity generators or dynamos where people religiously switch on the lights at 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. The community pays about P10 per day for the community electricity while some residents have their own electricity generators. About two kilometers before reaching Kiranggol, there is also a spot they fondly call as “signalan” or a place with mobile network signal. There, trekkers may stop and rest as well as text or call as this is the only place with mobile network connectivity along the 6-hour walk. As the team trekked the treacherous trails, DSWD 10 regional community infrastructure specialist engineer Roel Jumao-as spoke with the team on the possibilities of successfully hauling materials when the actual construction of the school building will start. To haul a bag of cement would actually cost around P500 each. However, Jumao-as is both hopeful and determined on the situation saying, “Kung mabuhat nato ning school-building diri sa Kiranggol, wala’y rason nga dili nato mabuhat sa ubang dapit (If we can build the school-building here in Kiranggol, there’s no reason that we can’t make it in other areas).” The Dreamers DSWD – Kalahi CIDSS-NCDDP
embraced a warm welcome from the Lumad children of Sitio Kiranggol during the site validation for the construction of a three-classroom school building in the sitio. Kiranggol parents and children alike were delighted to know of the project and have high hopes that their community can now have formal education in their sitio. Mitze Antian, Grade 3; Nistle Genlisa Mae Baculao, Grade 4; and Roseann Antian, Grade 4, are pupils of Dao Elementary School in Barangay Dao, San Fernando, Bukidnon. The three dreams of becoming a doctor, a police officer and a teacher respectively. The grueling five-hour mountain trek to their school makes it difficult for them to dream big. However, they are given renewed hope and vigor to pursue their dreams as the DSWD’s Kalahi CIDSS-NCDDP will construct a three-classroom school building in the sitio. Kiranggol can now have formal education in their sitio. Mitze says “makabalo na ko magsulat, magbasa, ganahan ko nga naa’y eskwelahan diri sa duol, para makalampus sa pag-eskwela ug mahimong doktor (I can now learn to write, read, I like the idea that there will be a school near here so that I can finish my studies and become a doctor).” Roseann hopes to become a teacher saying, “Para makatabang ko sa pamilya ug sa komunidad (So I can help my family and the community).” Nistle said, “Nalipay ko nga
di na malayo sa among balay ang eskwelahan, gusto ko makahuman ug mahimong pulis, akong uyu-an kay pulis (I’m happy that our school won’t have to be far from our house, I want to finish and become a police officer, my uncle is a police officer).” Mira Ombo is a parent of four children; Ling-ling who is now in grade 4, Ian in Grade 1, while Anelyn and Mayan, are in daycare. Mira says that her main sources of livelihood are “magtanom ug kamote, lutya, ug uban pa, usahay manglampas (planting crops like sweet potato and yautia, and others, sometimes I mow fields).” Mira also is delighted with the construction of the school building, “maayo kaayo nga naa na’y eskwelahan, nalipay ko, makaayo kini para sa mga kabataan, dili na namo ipadala sa sentro sa Dao ang mga bata para lang maka-eskwela kay naa na diri (this is good that there will be a school, I’m happy. This will be good for the children since we don’t have to send our children down to Dao just to go to school because we’ll have our own here).” Story of Botsoy Having read stories about Commander Alde “Botsoy” Salusad tells of a horrifying past. However, a completely different man during the visit gave one that is far from the stories one could have probably read. Conversations with residents gave another picture of Botsoy, one
resident narrates a tale when Botsoy spent an almost sleepless night fixing the leaking water pipes on their water system only to be awaken the next morning seeing the pipes chopped by a drunk person. Instead of showing rage, Botsoy asked the culprit to pay a tribute of a dozen chickens and fix the pipes again. Botsoy narrated the origin of the name Kiranggol, saying that it was also known as “Maupya” meaning “good” because the early settlers were good people. Botsoy addressed his fellow Lumads during the site validation and sitio assembly, “Kini na gyud ang katumanan nga atong ipangandoy sa mga bata nga matukuran na gyud ta’g pormal nga eskwelahan diri, gikan sa kalisud nato, pag-NPA nato sa una, pagsurrender nato- mao kini akong pangandoy nga ma-edukar kita, dili nata magsugot nga dili kita maedukar (This will be the fulfillment of our dream for the children that there will be a formal school here, from our hardships, when we were still with the NPA until our surrender, this is what I dreamed of, that we will be educated, we won’t allow that we won’t be educated).” Botsoy continued, “Tungod kay ang mga Lumad wala na-edukar, pirme gyud mailad sa mga daotang elemento, gamay ra nga mga pasalig madala dayon sa mga dautan nga idolohiya, mao nang pangandoy nato nga ma-edukar gyud ang mga Lumad (because Lumads are not educated,
we are always prone to bad elements, with just a little promise – we get carried away with bad ideology, that’s why I dream that Lumads will be educated).” Botsoy is thankful for the upcoming construction of the school building, “magpasalamat ta nangingkamot ang gobyerno nga tukuran gyud ta’g eskwelahan diri, priority kita (we are thankful the government endeavored to build us a school here, we are a priority).” Sitio Kiranggol chairman Listino Licawan also enthused “kitang tanan magpasalamat kay niabot sila diri sa Sitio Kiranggol, bisan tuod ug layo, mao na siguro kini ang katumanan sa atong mga pangandoy alang sa atong mga kabataan, kinahanglan kitang tanan magtinabangay ug maghiusa para duna’y katumanan sa atong pangandoy (we should be thankful that they arrived here in Sitio Kiranggol, though it is far, perhaps this will be the realization of our dream for our children, we must all help out and unite to accomplish this dream).” “Kinihanglan nga atong dasigon ang atong pagpa-eskwela sa atong mga anak, kay mao ra’y bugtong nga pangandoy nato para sa atong mga anak, ug labi ang mga ginikanan, akong dasigon nga ma-edukar gyud ang mga anak (we need to encourage our children to go to school, this is the only dream we can have for our children, and to the parents, I encourage you to have your children educated),” concludes Botsoy.
The science behind booming Cakeboom CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Bukidnon is considered to be the food basket of Mindanao. It is the major producer of rice, corn, bananas, sugarcane and pineapple. Almost all large corporate firms operating in the province are into production or processing of these agricultural products. A couple, Richard and Golda Lim who lives in Malaybalay City were employees of the one of the famous firm operating in the province. They left the company for a desire to start a business of their own. They started as a sidewalk vendor of Filipino delicacies and cakes and distributed their products to some food outlets. They got a big break when they won the Malaybalay City Best Delicacy contest in 2008 for their product named Piñasitas, a pastry with pineapple filling. The product won again in the province wide contest of Bukidnon Best Delicacy in 2008. The company has then joined local and regional fairs and Piñasitas gained attention not only in the region but in some parts of the Philippines as well. It is even made as pasalubong by Filipinos going abroad. As Cakeboom and Party Flavors grew, the owner’s objective shifted to not just earning a living but helping its workers sustain their source of income and employment. In 2009, Cakeboom has developed a new line of healthy pasalubong product that would meet consumer demand for a healthy and nutritious food. The product is named
as Piñakasi in which the name was derived from Piña as visayan term for pineapple and kasi which was a short term for Kalamunggay and Squash. With growing consumer recognition of the product line, Piñasitas and Piñakasi is continually increasing and the company can only provide a limited volume to some of its customers. With the aim to produce quality products and cope up with the increasing demand, in 2012 the couple sought the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) intervention through the upgrading of the production equipment such as cooker mixers and continuous band sealer for packaging. Food safety handling protocol training was also given as intervention for the firm’s staff and employees side from the owner. Before SETUP assistance, Cakeboom operates through manual processing using mostly non-food grade equipment. Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) Science and Technology interventions now allows Cakeboom to produce quality, competitive, affordable and healthy “pineapplebased pasalubong” food products.
It has increased their sales to 85%, from 8.2 Million to 15.3 Million and increased productivity by 52%, from 154,278 boxes to 234,616 boxes. “We are very thankful to the assistance shared by DOST through the Provincial S&T Center (PSTC) in Bukidnon. We become very efficient in producing quality products highlighting
our very own product which is pineapple,” said Golda Mae Lim, owner and manager of Cakeboom. At present, Cakeboom is establishing a name to bring pride for Bukidnon in the food processing industry. It has expanded its outlets in Malaybalay City from one to two outlets. (DOST10)
CDO commemorates 74th Araw ng Kagitingan, urges unity in nation building CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The city local government led the commemoration of the 74th anniversary of Araw ng Kagitingan on April 9 at Kiosko Kagawasan, Divisoria, here where city mayor Oscar Moreno encouraged every citizen not to solely rely on the military to attain peace since everyone has a role in nation building. With the theme, “Isabuhay ang Kagitingan, Kapayapaan ay Pagkaisahan, Kamtan ang Mithing Kaunlaran,” the event started with the flag raising of Philippine flag with full military colors and the executive wreath laying led by the city mayor together with MGEn. Benjamin R. Madrigal, 4ID, PA commanding general. In his message, Moreno expressed, “Ang Araw ng Kagitingan which used to be called Bataan Day is precisely meant to honor, to thank
and to inspire the military. Not only the military of the past, not only the military of today but also the military of the future.” He also stressed that it is in the hands of the military where national integrity, stability and sustainability depend on. However, the mayor added that the military remain in the sidelight thus everyone need have to have a very high sense of patriotism since the military are just acknowledged only when they are needed. “This celebration is meant to
remind us all of how significant, how crucial the role of the military is in the nation’s future,” Moreno said. Furthermore, the mayor shared that everyone has a role in making the nation strong and every citizen should realize that saying, “It is not as if that the preservation and the enhancement of the nation’s integrity and sovereignty and future ay nasa military lang (relied on the military). We are partners. And it is at the very least equally incumbent upon all of us na kailangan na pag-igihan din natin (that we should also persevere).” Moreno reminded the crowd that everyone is also number one stakeholder in the country saying, “We have a stake in the future of this country and it is not just our
barangays, it is not just our city but in the whole country. And number two reminder, as stakeholders, we must take the role, we must participate, we must engage ourselves in nation building.” In conclusion, Moreno emphasized that if the task is being co-owned, embraced by the people as their own, all problems could be solved efficiently. Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) is national observance in the Philippines that commemorates the fall of Bataan during World War II. The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan’s invasion of the Philippines.