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Thursday, November 17, 2005
A legacy of hard work
By Kathee Dante-Sanchez
“YOU give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. But, if you teach a man how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”
This maxim by Chinese advocate Mao Tse Tung holds true for a community-based organization in a secluded barangay located in the municipality of Boljoon, which lies about 103 kilometers southeast of Cebu City. Boljoon is one of the oldest coastal towns in the southern part of Cebu. It is also considered the quaintest, and is known for its picturesque physical splendor.
But how a small group of hardworking individuals in a quiet barangay in Boljoon were able to work themselves out of poverty, through united people empowerment, is a story that will remain a legacy for as long as its villagers will remember.
Romualdo Mier has lived in Barangay Arbor all his life. Located at the northern part of Boljoon it is one of the 11 barangays covered by the fifth-class municipality. A stable livelihood used to be one of the many things Romualdo had never been blessed with as well as some other villagers, who mostly rely on the small profit they get out of fishing.
In times where there was no catch or when the weather was rough, or when fishing nets were damaged, the fishermen were left with no choice but to confront poverty’s cruel consequences.
Transformation. Life was hard but it was mainly in panagat (fishing) that the villagers’ life revolved.
In the year 2000, Romualdo learned that Boljoon had been identified as expansion area of the Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Cidss), with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at the helm of program implementation. The strategy of the program starts at the grassroots, sitios and barangays, using the total family spproach (TFA) to study poverty situations. Community organizing and collective effort were the main frames to hasten the delivery of basic social welfare services.
After learning about the program, Romualdo and other villagers collectively grouped themselves and got a livelihood loan through the program’s Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (Seak).
The Seak Program of DSWD is a capability-building scheme which aims to enhance the socio-economic skills of poor families through the organization of community-based associations for entrepreneurial development.
Help at last. With a P100,000 interest-free loan from Cidss, and no collateral counterpart at that, 25 residents of Barangay Arbor then formed themselves into an organization, with each member given P4,000 as capital. Fifteen members of the organizations received their share on October 31, 2000, while the 10 officers got their blessing on November 23 of the same year.
With this limited financial assistance, some members invested their loans by opening sari-sari stores/pharmacies and food stalls, bought sacks of affordable NFA rice for selling, and sturdy fishing nets for a better catch.
Romualdo and the rest of the Seak members were starting to see the silver lining, and on November 16, 2000, they were able to remit their first payment. The DSWD made it clear during its social preparation training that Cidss is a self-help program. Hard work and discipline were a big part of the economic upliftment.
They had already agreed to remit a weekly rate of P68 per member. P40 of which would be the return of investment, the other P40 was intended for the association’s savings. The remaining P8 would be a breakdown for the association’s emergency and operational funds.
Being the Seak president, Romualdo himself serves as an excellent example to his subordinates by promptly paying his weekly compensation to the group treasurer.
To instill discipline and proper monitoring among his members, Romualdo holds meetings at least once a week. Should any member fail to attend, he is charged P20 as part of the disciplinary action. P5 is charged for the late-comers.
Romualdo said the members appreciated this strategy they describe as far better than doleouts.
The most important thing is getting the project done and being taught how to maintain and manage it. This is something they have institutionalized in their endeavors.
Fruit. In two years’ time, the Seak organization accumulated P56,000 in savings, and the members even ventured into other options as lending their savings to fellow members themselves, which they can readily get especially in difficult circumstances or family crisis.
In November 7, 2002, the residents were able to heave a big sigh of relief as they were already able to fully pay the P100,000 capital assistance.
With their profits now starting to gradually grow, the group then found another way to expand their business venture by running one sari-sari store which would accommodate their paninda (commodities).
Seemingly impressed by the association’s united efforts, Municipal Councilor Anastacio de Rama gave his support by donating a personal lot along the highway. With their new location, the profit has indeed increased.
The members and officers were grouped and group members took turns in voluntarily manning the store round the clock.
In a few months, the façade of the store has greatly improved. Gone was the unsightly makeshift tarpaulin that they used as roof. With their steady income, the group was able to replace the tarpaulin roof with corrugated galvanized iron and to buy a refrigerator for the store to sell other product lines. They were also able to build a separate bodega to store their supplies.
Improved life. “Sa kaniadto, kulang ra intawon ang baon nga among mahatag sa among mga anak. Karon nga gitaga-an mi’g panginabuhi sa Cidss, dako gyud kaayo ang kausaban sa among panimalay. Unya duna pa gyud mi’y madaganan sa mga panahon nga lisod kaayo ang kwarta, (Before we could not even give school allowances to our children because of financial constraint. After Cidss gave us employment assistance, we marked big changes in our households. We now even have something to rely on in cases where money is scarce), attested one group member.
What used to be just a sleepy seaside village unexpectedly metamorphosed to one with community involvement visibly at work.
In the end, it turned out that Cidss did not only teach them how to fish for a lifetime but more than anything else, Cidss left them with something no amount of money can equal: an improved quality of life.
(November 17, 2005 issue)
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