She attends barangay assemblies and actively participates in the activities of the Project by day. And by the time it gets dark, she walks towards the pier to sell ‘balut’ until the wee hours at night.

This has been the routine of Jorivic Bautista, a resident of Barangay Dangay, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, upon the arrival of Kalahi-CIDSS.

Jorivic said that what keeps her interested in Kalahi-CIDSS is the role given to the community members that is to identify their most pressing need in the community. Likewise, the involvement of people in the implementation and monitoring of their own sub-project to address local poverty issues.

“Nasayahan po talaga ako dun sa Participatory Situational Analysis (PSA). Akala noon madali lang sabihin kung ano ang talagang kailangan, pero talaga pa lang kailangan na alamin muna ang pinaka-puno ba niya, yung mismong ugat ng problema. Madami po talaga akong natutunan doon sa gawain naming iyon,” said Jorivic who also is a PSA volunteer of Kalahi-CIDSS.

A community-driven development project, Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the government’s primary poverty reduction programs.  It allows communities to decide for themselves what project they need the most. Specifically, the project highlights the participation of each individual in identifying their needs, even in the implementation of the sub-project they have identified.

When asked what made her participate in Kalahi, Jorivic shared that she finds joy in attending and participating in various activities of any kind of project that is implemented in their barangay. “Lahat sinasalihan ko kahit yung mga orientation sa munisipyo. Marami na akong nadaluhan na orientation seminar sa mga kooperatiba, sa BFAR, at sa Malampaya foundation,” she said with glee.

But more than joy, she said that she wants to know the ideals and advocacies of any project. Her passion to learn was equally driven by her want to apply the various ideas and learnings in her life. “Kumukuha ako ng ideya kung paano magpatakbo ng negosyo, kaya talagang nagpupunta ako pag may mga orientation ang mga kooperatiba.”

Her continuous involvement in Kalahi-CIDSS made her fellow residents to vote her as head of the Project Preparation Team (PPT), a committee under the sub-project management team of the barangay. “Nakita naman ng mga kasamahan ko na pursigido ako sa mga gawain kaya ako ay kanilang binoto sa posisyon na iyon,” said Jorivic. Despite her involvement in Kalahi, she manages to squeeze in her balut vending at night. She said that it is quite tiring but she will not let her family become hungry. She and her husband struggle to make their ends meet with their measly income.

“Matindi ang pinagdaanan ko noon, bilang head ng PPT. Napaka-hirap gumawa ng proposal. Kasi kailangan makita doon kung bakit iyong sub-project na iyon ang kailangan ng komunidad para tugunan ang kanilang problema,” she shared.

Their community’s sub-project is a 1-unit 2-storey technical vocational school building. The said building is an addition to the Roxas Community College located in their barangay. Brgy. Dangay proposed the school building since they saw that it was the most effective solution to the increasing number of out-of-school youths in the area.

Jorivic said that many opt not to go to college because most parents cannot afford to send their children to private colleges. And even when they sent them for private schooling, they also stopped in the middle of the school year because they cannot sustain the finances on transportation and allowance. Most parents do not have a steady income as they rely on fishing and farming, which are also seasonal jobs. They have a hard time making their ends meet, as the expenses at home and at school is rather costly.

“Dalawa na sa mga anak ko ang nakatapos ng kolehiyo. Sadyang napakalaki ng gastos namin noon maliit lang ang kita namin. Ang asawa ko ay nangingisda tapos ako nagbebenta ng balut, hindi namin alam kung saan kukunin ang panggastos. Kaya alam ko ang hirap ng mga magulang na mapag-aral ang anak sa kolehiyo. Ayaw man nila patigilin pero kinakailangan dahil kulang talaga sa kita,” Jorivic said.

In this light, the barangay proposed an additional school building for the community college that will offer vocational short courses for the out-of-school youth of Roxas. The residents know that this will lessen the number of out-of-school youth and the rate of unemployment in the barangay. On a positive note, the technical vocational school building will address the need for a quality education and ultimately, help provide economic opportunities to those who will finish the course. Jorivic shared that this will help many students to find better jobs, abroad or local, after they have finished.

Jorivic further said that the school building will cater not only the barangay of Dangay, but also the other barangays in Roxas. This is seen as a solution to the problems reflected in the PSAs of several barangays. Nonetheless, it will also benefit the municipalities of Bongabong, Mansalay, and Bulalacao which are proximate to Roxas.

“Malaking tulong iyong dagdag sa community college kasi kaunti pa lamang ang mga kursong itinuturo dito. Kapag natapos maitayo ang school building, madadagdagan na ng ibang course tulad ng electronics at bookkeeping,” Jorivic added. The following courses to be offered will be certified and accredited by TESDA.

Jorivic mentions that this would not have been possible if not for the support of the barangay local government unit and the guidance of the Kalahi-CIDSS Area Coordinating Team. “Saludo ako sa mga aming opisyal sa barangay dahil kasama namin sila sa proseso at hindi kami pinabayaan. Lalo na ang ACT sa patuloy na pagtulong at gabay. Natagalan man ito pero sulit din ang pagod at paghihintay dahil nakita ko ang effort ng lahat para lamang ito ay mapatupad.”

Two of Jorivic’s children have already finished college. By the time her other four children will enter college, the technical vocational school building may have other courses which her children will happily choose from.

“Sobrang tuwa ko talaga dahil mauumpisahan na ang aming proyekto. Na ang lahat ng paghihirap naming mga volunteer ay unti-unti nang nababawi. Magandang umpisa ito para sa lahat sa amin hindi lang dito sa Brgy. Dangay kundi sa buong Roxas,” Jorivic tearfully said. ###