PROGRESS & DEVELOPMENT

Elevating lumad lives!

LGU boosts resettlement initiatives for indigenous groups

by:SheenRyanBaluran

people The Mayor pledged to mprove their access to clean water and eectrcity He emphasized that the Lumads do not deserve to live in poorly constructed houses or makeshift shelters

No more scarcity!

The Mayors statement highlights the purpose of their mmedate acton to address the iving condtons of the Lumads, who are an integral part of the Muncipalitys cultural heritage "The Lumad people are one of the unique cultural groups in the Municipalty yet many live in poorly constructed houses wthout good access to electricity and clean water Some even live n makeshift sheters made of bamboo and other natural materials; they do not deserve such a state of iving especially here in San Isidro not on my watch," said Gaje

In a further statement Mayor Gaje expressed deep concern over the longstanding discrimination and persecuton of the Lumad peope in San Isidro He acknowedged that they had been vctms of land grabbing forced displacement and vioence, making it chalengng to establish stable livelihoods and build permanent homes The Mayor noted that many Lumads have been forced to fee ther ancestral lands and live as refugees further exacerbating their dire living conditions

Some Lumad resdents have faced discrimination and persecuton for many years They have been subjected to land grabbing forced displacement and vioence Ths has made it difficult for them to establsh stable lvelhoods and build permanent homes Some have been forced to flee their ancestral lands and lve as refugees he added In addition Gaje expressed concerns about the Lumad people's financal constrants that prevent them from improving ther homes' living conditions While the Municipality has provided financial assistance for their daily needs such as food medication and transportaton fees the Lumads lack of fnancial reserves has resulted in nsufficent funds to maintan and improve their houses often made from natural materals and prone to hazards

Before this infrastructural project they were already provded financia assistance to ad any absences of their daly necessities However it is just enough for ther sustenance n terms of food, medic t l th d i t t ti f d variety of blls There are common i them to use to improve the roofs th commonly made from what nature Gaje

SNHS obtains reliable water after decades of c

by SheenRyanBaluran

After 10 years of relying on contaminated water, Sawata National High School has finally obtained safe and clean students and faculty members The school's efforts to repair and maintain its water system, in collaboration wi government unit of Sawata, have resulted in a reliable and sustainable supply This achievement was made po joint efforts of the school and the LGU of Sawata and has benefited the school's students and staff from 2020 up to the

According to Rene Macadangdang the teacher in charge of the School Repair and Maintenance, they approached the Engineerng Office of Sawata in 2020 to request a connection to the muncipal water system Despte a supply shortage, the Engneering Offce granted their request fnally allowing the school access to safe and clean water To ensure a reliable supply the school also nstalled two cistern tanks capable of holding up to 4000 lters of water which wll serve as an additional source and provide a backup system whenever the muncipal supply becomes unavaiable Furthermore the water quality was verified by a barangay sanitary nspecton confrmng ts portability

“We went to the Engineering Office of Sawata for a request to connect from ther supply of water which they granted from the year 2020 up unti now despite a shortage of ther supply In addition due to the schools efforts, we now have two cisterns tanks that can carry up to 4000 iters of water to not ony rey on the water from the municipa water system Moreover, the potabiity of the water was validated by the barangay santary inspection said Macadangdang He revealed that the schoo took advantage of their newfound access to a suffcient water suppy by bulding addtona hand washing areas and nvesting in more faucets for campus use This resulted in higher water consumption reflected in their water bill which reached up to 17 000 However despte the significant increase in usage the Municipalty of Sawata approved a resoution that the school wll only pay 3000 a month regardess of the water consumed

“The school grabbed this opportunity of having a sufficient supply of water to buid hand washing areas and invest more in other faucets for campus use This consumption talied our water bll for up to 17,000 Despite the larger scae of our use, the Municipalty of Sawata approved a resoluton that the school wil only be paying 3000 a month regardless of usng any amount of water which is very benefcia for us he added He shared that before the schoo obtained access to reliable water they had to rey soey on the rain which proved to more Before the municpal water system only supplied Municpal Hal Hosptal and Market leaving the school of potable water They attempted to dril three sites withi but all proved unsuccessful leadng them to use the sch corroded wel as the ast opton Despite being ceaned s the wel's condtion stil needed improvement The schoo the wel and rainwater for decades

We had no water supply considering that the Munici system before only suppled water to the Municpal Hal the Market The only source of water our school had was insufficient

So we tried driling three sites within campus a hundred feet down but we obtained no trace of water It ed us to our last resort which was the schools well and it was badly corroded despte beng cleaned several times We had no choice so we kept utilizing it for daiy needs within campus along wth rainwater for decades to count said Macadangdang

According to Macadangdang the schools envronment was severely affected by using corroded water for daly cleanng hygiene and sustenance The constant exposure to the toxic and corrosive water caused dscoloration and unpleasant odors n the washing areas, comfort rooms and other facilties Ths posed a danger to the students and facuty members constantly exposed to the toxc water

“Consderng our use of corroded water to support our daily cleaning, hygene, and sustenance needs, our environment was tanted wth corrosion Our washing areas comfort rooms and other faclities were dressed with corroded scents and surface discoloration Students and facuty members were purey exposed to the toxicity of the water; it was dangerous," he added He emphaszed the postive mpact that the schools newfound access

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It is important to acknowledge the unique cultural heritage and contributions of indigenous communities while recognizing their struggles with discrimination, poverty, and displacement -Gaje

Gaje highlighted the Municipalitys commitment to providing the Lumad people with decent homes that can enhance their quality of lfe The Mayor emphasized that the Muncpaltys approach to the housing project is inclusive as they have engaged with the Lumad community to understand ther needs The Mayor aso noted that experts and stakeholders were involved n the project's development to ensure cultural appropriateness environmental soundness and social benefits

"We aim to provide them wth decent homes to improve their quality of life Our approach is participatory and inclusive We have engaged with the Lumad community to understand their needs and preferences We also worked cosely with experts and stakeholders to ensure the housing project was culturally appropriate, environmentally sound, and socally beneficial Our goal is to empower the Lumads to take ownership of their homes and communites sad Gae

In addition Gae emphasized the Municipalitys commitment to providing the Lumad people wth wider opportunities through the housng project The Mayor stressed that the project's goal s to ensure ther comfort and promote inclusivity and transparency in governance The Municipality aims to show that they care for all residents regardess of location and can deliver on their commitments

"Through this proect we have wdened the reach of the communitys opportunities We aim to et them ive comfortably and fee inclusiveness from the e and let dong so, ended

Availability of reliable water For over ten years SNHS finally quenches its thirst with access to potable water

It made a huge impact on our daily lives in the school Our students and staff members no longer have to worry about getting sick from contaminated water or suffering from dehydration It has also improved our sanitation and hygiene practices, which is essential, especially during this time of the pandemic.

- Macadangdang