Rising from the ashes of war, Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte is now a thriving municipality and home to empowered communities.

Gina Pagente, 42, of Barangay Poblacion, Kauswagan is known to be the town’s resident manicurist who is also well-loved by her neighbors and community.

A wife to Rolly Pagente, 46, and a mother to 17-year-old Rolly Jr., Gina was used to just being a housewife and doing manicure jobs for her “suki” (loyal customers) neighbors on the side – until she volunteered for the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Kalahi-CIDSS seeks to help alleviate poverty by capacitating people so they will have the opportunity to identify, implement, and manage community projects and resources that will address their most pressing needs using the community-driven development (CDD) approach. Through CDD, residents learn how to work together so they can manage the problems affecting their villages.

“Sa ikaduha nga barangay assembly, nakapili na sila nang committees, naa nay nag-volunteer, ug ako ang gipili nga Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee (BSPMC) Chairperson (They selected committee members during the second barangay assembly. Some already volunteered, but they elected me as the BSPMC Chairperson),” Gina said.

Described by her friends as a “natural leader”, Gina is also the President of the Sunriser Women’s Association in the community for five years. Even so, she admitted that she was very hesitant at first to take on the role, as the BSPMC Chairperson serves as the leader of the Kalahi-CIDSS volunteers.

However, she accepted it when she realized that she could make an impact to the community by serving their village in that capacity.

“Dili ko kay dili ko kabalo, di nako kaya, ako silang gipangutana nga unsa may buhaton ana (I didn’t want to because I didn’t know if I could handle it, so I asked them what needed to be done there),” she added.

“Siguro, dako ilang pagsalig sa ako, mao nang tanan meetings sa mga committees ako nang ga-apilan, mao nang kabalo gyud ko sa tanan buluhaton (I think they have great trust in me. That is why I attend all committee meetings. That’s how I learned what needs to be done),” Gina continued.

Gina said that her husband, who works in the security services industry, and the community understand her obligation and commitment as a volunteer in the projects.

In their village, most of the Kalahi-CIDSS volunteers are women and mothers. Gina said that they need understanding, love, and respect not only from their families, but within the community as well.

One of the most meaningful projects that Gina and the community got involved in is the construction of several pathways in different areas of Poblacion Kauswagan.

“Sa amo, pag taas sa tubig dagat, magtaas pud ang tubig sa among lugar, taman tuhod, di na mi makaagi (In our area, when the sea water level rises, our paths also get filled up with knee-high water, and we cannot pass through),” Gina said.

“Pag naa ko’y customer, di na sila kagawas diretso kai taas na man ang tubig, pati mga bata luoy, dili makagawas sa ilang panimalay para muskwela tungod niini (If I have customers, they couldn’t leave immediately because of the water. Even the children could not get out of their houses to go to school because of this),” Gina further said.

With the completion of the construction of the pathways, Gina said they could now move around their community without worrying.

A seawall project, also built through Kalahi-CIDSS, is nearing completion in Barangay Poblacion. Gina enthused that the structure is really helpful to the residents who are near the shores.

“Pag dako sa balod, parehas adtong Bagyong Pablo og Yolanda, nangaguba ang mga balay didto dapit sa dagat (When there are big waves, like those during Typhoons Pablo and Yolanda, houses near the shoreline are destroyed),” she lamented.

Gina continued, “Pag construct sa seawall, nalipay na gyud ang mga residente kai makatulog na kuno sila nga walay kakulba (When the seawall was constructed, the residents were really happy and said that they can now sleep without worrying too much).”

The construction of the 60.1-meter project in May last year amounted to a total cost of P1,612,332.00, wherein P1,586,431.05 was funded by Kalahi-CIDSS, and P25,900.50 came from the contribution of the municipal and barangay local government units.

According to Gina, Kalahi-CIDSS paved way for the men and women in the area to further commit themselves to volunteering in projects and actively engaging in community activities. She added that women in the community are now interested in joining in livelihood programs, trainings and other worthwhile activities.

“Kung wala ang Kalahi-CIDSS, basin housewives lang gyapon kami karon, daghan mig natun-an ani nga programa (If Kalahi-CIDSS was not around, we would all still be housewives today. We learned a lot from this program),” Gina added.

Gina manages her time well and goes by the saying “Time is gold”. She said that the moments she always treasures are the long walks in the locale’s boardwalk with her husband.

For her, it was because of volunteering for Kalahi-CIDSS that she now dreams of a better community for everyone in their town and their future generations. ###