(A community that is healthy, progressive, has a unity between the barangay and municipality, quality education, clean environment,citizens that respect one another, peace, access on services from barangay, municipality, and neighboring municipalties, and quality farming.)
After hours of intense and participative discussion, the community volunteers in Talugtug, Nueva Ecija came up with this vision of their dream community during the Criteria Setting Workshop (CSW) last July 19 and 20. Lengthy as it may seem, this vision encompasses the solution of all the problems that these citizens have been facing. With the help of the KALAHI-CIDSS, a community-empowerment program of the DSWD, the volunteers hope to achieve this vision.
“Kailangan, kapag nag-iisip tayo ng vision, hindi lang ang sariling barangay natin ang iniisip natin. Dapat iniisip natin ang kabuuang ikabubuti ng munisipyo (When formulating a vision, we should not solely think about the benefit of our own barangay. Instead, we should consider the welfare of our municipality as a whole),” said the community volunteer from Barangay Mayamot II.
After agreeing on a vision, the community volunteers created their own list of criteria for the selection of sub-projects to be prioritized by the KALAHI-CIDSS. In setting criteria, the community volunteers considered various aspects in the community, such as security, health, education, environment, and livelihood.
The participants also came up with a creative method on the presentation oftheir barangay’s sub-project proposal. As agreed, the Municipal Inter-Barangay Forum – Participatory Resource Allocation (MIBF-PRA) will be held on October 14 at Umali Gym, Talugtug.
Before the CSW ends, some of the volunteers gave their own reflection on the event. According to a community volunteer from Barangay Saguing, “Karamihan sa mga tao sa barangay namin, ayaw maniwala sa ganitong programa. Kaya ako nagtitiyang lumahok sa ganitong workshop para maipakita sa kanila na may kabuluhan ang lahat ng ito (Most of the people in our barangay don’t believe in these programs. This is why I patiently join these kinds of workshop to show them that all of these are worthwhile.”
The participants also thanked KALAHI-CIDSS, most especially the Area Coordinating Team (ACT), led by Talugtug Area Coordinator (AC) John Carlo Maglatang, for equipping them with tools and knowledge to become empowered members of the society. ### (MA. DENNIELLE M. LOMBOY)
