Bauko – Four Rural Infrastructure Development (RID) projects have been recently inaugurated and turned over to constituents of Barangay Bagnen, Bauko last April 16, 2019.
The RID projects are expected to usher development to the hard – to – reach barangays in Mountain Province and were accomplished through the partnership between the local government units (i.e., PLGU, Bauko LGU) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) – CAR’s Scaling Up of the Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resources Management Project (CHARMP2 SU).
The total project cost amounting to 10.5 million pesos made possible 1) the Improvement of Bagnen – Balintaugan Farm – to – Market Road (FMR); 2) the Construction of Bagnen Oriente Multi-Purpose Drying Pavement; 3) the Improvement of Bagnen Oriente Farm to Market Pathway with Footbridge; and 4) the Construction of Labayan – Balew Footpath with Footbridge. The projects were funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) with counterparts from the Philippine Government (i.e., DA) and from the provincial and municipal LGUs.
The Provincial Government of Mountain Province provided fund augmentation for the six million – worth Bagnen – Balintaugan FMR while Bauko LGU gave the needed counterpart for the rest of the aforementioned projects.
“We, your elected officials, take pride in the fact that the office of the local chief executive and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan are working hand in hand the implementation of projects. We are ever-willing to provide the necessary assistance and needed funding complement should the need arises. We also give due recognition to all concerned offices in the Provincial Government who are working step-by-step with us in all our programs for development,” Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. said.
“We are very much blessed to have been and to continue being recipients of the regular and special programs and projects of the DA. Words are never enough to express our gratitude. Furthermore, my administration will always be supportive of future collaborative endeavors,” he added.
Tom Tibong, executive assistant to the governor, who relayed the Governor’s message lauded the leadership of Gov. Lacwasan, Bauko Mayor Abraham B. Akilit and that of the DA. According to him, the aforementioned entities’ industry and commitment helped bring into fruition the aspirations of the people – continuous/ sustainable development.
EA Tibong further urged the people of Bagnen to continue cooperating with the local government units for a more progressive Bauko.
In his message, Mayor Akilit acknowledged the vital role of the community, particularly that of the Barangay Project Monitoring and Evaluation Team, for its diligence and collaborative work with authorities to complete the projects. He also gave assurance that his administration will always be willing to provide the needed counterpart to projects needing complementation so that more will be benefitted. Moreover, he said that the municipality is geared towards high impact projects which would be more beneficial to the constituents of the municipality.
It can be recalled that the first and second leg of the inauguration – turnover twin events were also conducted in Balugan, Sagada and Dacudac, Tadian last April 11 and 12, respectively. Three completed Rural Infrastructure Development (RID) projects worth 10.5 million pesos were inaugurated and turned over to the constituents of Balugan while 11.3 million – peso worth RID projects were also relinquished to the officials and community of Dacudac, Tadian.
“In Mountain Province, Bagnen Oriente, Bauko, Balugan, Sagada and Dacudac, Tadian are among the 18 barangay beneficiaries from the six provinces of CAR,” said Dr. Cameron P. Odsey, OIC, Office of the Regional Executive Director, DA – Regional Field Office – CAR.
Meanwhile, Engr. Beverly T. Pekas, Provincial Coordinating Officer of DA – Provincial Coordinating Office for Mountain Province, expressed her gratitude for the continuing support from the LGUs – support which is manifested by the willingness of the PLGU and the Bauko LGU to provide fund counterpart for projects. Engr. Pekas also acknowledged the Project Development Coordinators in said LGUs for their guidance and cooperation which made plans materialize.
The turn-over ceremonies for the four different projects were witnessed by provincial and municipal LGU personnel, barangay officials and by the community.
The community speaks, recognizes the good the projects entailed
Vital to the success of the projects are the people. Without their all-out support, the projects would not have progressed or would not have been realized.
To the Barangay Project Monitoring and Evaluation Team of Bagnen Oriente, Bauko who were instrumental to the various stages of the project (i.e, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation), their song of thanks explicitly said how they perceived the projects in their community.
In their song, they thanked the DA-CAR’s CHARMP2 SU for including Bagnen among the barangay beneficiaries in Mountain Province and they also thanked all LGU officials for helping them craft their resolutions and for fast-tracking the approval and implementation of said projects.
A line of their song also states, “Salamat CHARMP, probleman di mannalon nasolusyunan…”
The above line expressed the people’s gratitude for the infrastructure, agro-forestry and livelihood projects that were realized through the partnership between the LGUs and the DA-RFO-CAR.
“Dobli-dobliyen mi nan adi kaawit ay iyaman kendakayu, san Probinsiya, nannay da kadwa san munisipyo, nannay da CHARMP ay nangananus ay mendadadaan da iman mamingsan, maling-e-ling-et da iman, ya mabengasan nan dapan da ya umali da iman ay umey paspasyaren nalay inted yu ay location nan farm mi tay nabingi-bingit met nan taltalon mi, baken kag ed kapatagan ay inektarya, isna ket kinelleng, adi pay wada ed tap-eo, wada ed data, amin nan four ay suli nan batawa et wada iman nan inmula mi ay citrus ay inyali yu, et inyaman kami san kalsa ay inyali yu ta lumaka nan mangibyahiyan mi san mula mi, ya sup-ay manayun pay kuma,” said Felix Polon, President, Lugangan Citrus Growers Organization, Brgy. Balugan, Sagada, Mountain Province.
“Idiay Sitio Pasnadan nu adda ti marigatan kadakwada…mabagbagkat diyay masakit ya ngem tatta ket medyo inmasideg diay maawitan ti masakit ta maisabat diay lugan diay nagpatenggaanna. Dakkel nga tulong iti umili… isu met ti kagapwan ti pagbiyagan da idiay baba idiay usto nga pagturungan na isu ah nga nu koma malpas diyay ket dakkel a ti pagsiyaatan dayta. Bararbareng nu lugan ti mapan to mangala ti intalon mo ken daduma pay nga makarga nga kasapulan.” – Fabian Bilayan, Barangay Captain – Dacudac, Tadian
“Ado ah ti naitulong ti CHARMP ditoy ayan mi. Mayaten ti pang-ipagnaan mi iti kanen mi nga mapan ken maggapo idiay garden. Maka-umay payen ti lugan ket diretso na nga alaen idiay talon dagiti kamatis ken dadduma pay nga makan. Talaga nga makatulong amin iti community ah, agraman iti studyante ken senior citizens. Dakkel talaga nga tulong.” – Domingo Kingat Bissok, Bagnen Oriente, Bauko
Project/ program proponents/ organizers involves local churches in undertakings, reiterates the essence of turnover-acceptance rites
Customary after the completion of a project is the series of events which are held and which may include inauguration, turnover and acceptance ceremonies.
In the inauguration of projects which has been held in the province, program organizers made it a point to invite church leaders to the events.
In Bagnen Oriente, Rev. Tristan Bati-il officiated the blessing of the newly completed projects while Pastor Benito Cuyang-oan and Pastor John Ap-apid led the blessing for the inaugurated projects in Balugan, Sagada and in Dacudac, Tadian, respectively.
“We are very thankful that the religious sector in the locality where projects are implemented are ever-willing to join us during groundbreaking or inauguration ceremonies. Indeed, we need the guidance and the presence of the Lord in all our undertakings,” said Gov. Lacwasan.
Moreover, during the turnover and acceptance of project/s part, the DA authorities also took time to reiterate the significance of the rites.
“The project should not come to an end after the projects are inaugurated; there is that attached responsibility on your part in the maintenance of the completed projects so that such may be used for many years; hence, this turnover and acceptance ceremony,” said Dr. Odsey.
According to the DA, for FMRs, the contractor turns over first the completed project to the PLGU/MLGU’s representative who accepts it; then, the latter turns it over to the DA-CHARMP2 SU, the funding institution, to inform it of said project’s completion. Consequently, the DA then turns it over back to the concerned LGU for their appropriate maintenance.
For smaller infrastructure projects, however, it is turned-over to the barangay lgu. In the case of an irrigation or a domestic water system, the project is turned over to the concerned farmers’ organization for operation and maintenance.
During the turnover-acceptance program in Bagnen Oriente, Mayor Akilit assured the community that the municipal government will help them in the maintenance of projects. In addition, he said that the MLGU will even work for the construction of additional infrastructure along the Labayan – Balew Footpath.
According to him, concrete platforms will be built for purposely as loading and unloading area for farmer-passersby or to be used simply as resting sheds.
DA urges beneficiaries for a continuous project stewardship, community pledges continuous custodianship
To kindle the sense of responsibility and exemplary stewardship of the projects among the community members, RED Odsey exhorted the people by walking them through the significant events that led to the success of the projects that will now benefit the people of Bauko, particularly those of Bagnen.
Firstly, Dr. Odsey brought to the fore community participation / involvement. This, he said, was evident right at the start of the project when the community actively engaged in the Participatory Investment Planning based on their felt needs which were in consonance with their Barangay Development Plan.
Secondly, the RED reminded the beneficiaries of the rigors which they went through. The processes eventually made them recipients of programs/ projects – the agro-forestry program which enabled them to plant citrus plants and coffee, the DA’s Livelihood Assistance Fund program which enabled them to avail Php 500, 000.00 to be used according to their approved business plan and the infrastructures that would address their farming needs for a longer time.
“The time and effort spent in the planning stage and your involvement in the implementation and in the monitoring of the projects should have endeared the programs to you and should impel you to take care of the projects because you own them,” he said.
Relative to the fair use of the infrastructure, Dr. Odsey also urged the barangay officials of Bagnen Oriente to come up with guidelines on the use of the multi – purpose drying pavement to ensure that the said facility will be used mainly for what it was built for.
In response, Barangay Chairman Domingo Bissok, likened the projects to “tawid” or inheritance.
“Nan tawid, inayan; nan danan nu mabe-as, lugaman; nu magday, kabiti-en; i-commit mi ay taga-Bagnen Oriente ay nu magab-unan, enkami kaanen nan naigab-on, [An inheritance should never be forsaken; if the path / road is beset by overgrown weeds, we will remove the weeds; if the path / road is washed out, we will restore and strengthen it with riprap. We, the people of Bagnen Oriente, commit that should the path / road be covered by soil and rocks due to erosion, we will clear it.],” he said.
CHARMP2 SU comes to an end
The CHARMP2 SU, a special program of the DA, aimed to uplift the living conditions and to improve the income of local farmers in areas identified as poorest and hard – to – reach. Said aims are attained through the program’s four main components, namely: (a) Social Mobilization and Participatory Investment Planning (b) Agro Forestry (c) Agriculture, Agri-Business and Income Generating Activities and (d) Rural Infrastructure Development (RID) projects.
This 2019, the CHARMP2 SU will end just like its predecessors – the CHARMP and the CHARMP2. The implementation of CHARMP2 SU is from 2017 to 2019 in identified 18 barangay beneficiaries from the six provinces of CAR.
“The difference of the CHARMP2 SU with the other programs is the time factor. The project implementation is only within a two – year period, unlike the first two CHARM projects which were implemented for seven years each,” Odsey said.
The CHARM project was implemented from 1997 to 2004 ((seven years) with 82 barangay beneficiaries, while CHARMP2 was implemented from 2009 to 2016 (seven years) and had 170 barangay beneficiaries.
Considering the impending end of the third CHARM project, the DA gave assurance of its steadfast support to the constituents of the province.
“The Project is about to end but the Department of Agriculture will always be there, ready to assist our people in the Cordillera,” Dr. Odsey said.// MP-PIO
