The newly completed Mandaya Kadyawan Center in Barangay Panansalan.

Barangay Panansalan, Compostela, Compostela Valley -The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently inaugurated and handed over  the Mandaya Kadyawan Center [tribal hall] community sub-project here constructed through its KC-NCDDP PAMANA [PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn].

Compostela Mayor Lema M. Bolo, KC-NCDDP Community Development Assistant Kareen Maris S. Manggubat, municipal councilors and barangay officials attended the event.

A total of 200 Mandaya tribe families and 100 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program families residing in six puroks in the barangay will benefit from the peace-promoting sub-project.

Fear factor

Barangay Panansalan is situated in an upland area and is 38 kilometers from Poblacion Compostela.

Some 992 of its total population used to live in fear due to the existence of armed groups, worsening of the tribal war, and political conflicts.

Having undergone KC-NCDDP’s Participatory Situation Analysis (PSA), the community identified the need to construct a tribal center where they can settle their issues and concerns with other parties.

The construction of the project started on March 3, 2014 and was completed in September 2014.

The sub-project has a total cash grant of Php 300,000.00 from PAMANA, one of the modalities of KC-NCDDP that targets conflict-affected barangays (CABs). Counterpart from the municipal local government unit is Php 70,000.00.

Peace hall

Mayor Bolo expressed her gratitude to DSWD for promoting peace and unity in the area. “I am thankful that projects like this are prioritized in the community. It’s a good start for the people of Panansalan to start anew in settling their problems in this tribal hall in a peaceful and diplomatic way.”

With his Words of Challenge, Lt. Jei-em Tagufa, one of the assigned military personnel in the area urged the community to support the government. “Magtabang-tabang ta sa padayon nga kalinaw ug kalambuan sa atong komunidad (Let’s help one another in maintaining peace and progress in our community).”

KC-NCDDP or KALAHI CIDSS-National Community Driven Development Program, one of the core programs of DSWD in empowering people and improving the lives of poor Filipino families, is now the scaled up program of KALAHI-CIDSS.

For 2014, KC-NCDDP covers 16 municipalities namely; Maco, Monkayo, Nabunturan, Pantukan, New Bataan, Boston, Manay, Tarragona, Governor Generoso, San Isidro, Caraga, Cateel, Kapalong, New Corella, Malita, and Compostela.

Tribal chieftain Diosdado Toledan said, “Dako among pasalamat sa DSWD kay ilang gitagaan og katungod ang mga lumad ug gitagaan og tingog ang mga yanong katawhan nga maapil sila sa pagpaningkamot sa pagpatukod ani nga proyekto (We are very grateful to DSWD for the opportunity provided to  Indigenous Peoples and ordinary people alike to take part in building this project).”

To date, a total of 51 KC-NCDDP sub-projects have been completed in Compostela. Another six sub-projects will be constructed for the 4^th cycle of KC PAMANA, and six classroom building sub-projects through KC Australian AID. DSWD