“Naa’ay gisulud mga baynti ka armed men sa barangay Sulo, didtu sa baligyaan, sa merkado. Dayun gitulis ang mga tawu, mga nagbaligya ug isda, goma. Nagcause na sya ug upat katawu namatay kay gipangpusil man sila.” (Around 20 armed men entered our village, particularly at the wet market. The people were robbed. Four people were killed in that incident.) Maritess finally started.

It was three years ago when the bucolic town of Naga were stunned by the cruel and still unsolved murder of some residents. However, Maritess recalled the incident with fear still evident in her eyes.

Tess, a 42-year old native of barangay Sulo in Naga serves as a barangay secretary and a Procurement Team Member of Kalahi-CIDSS Barangay Sub-project Management Committee. She has been active in participating in the different development efforts in the community, including the construction of the 395 meters concrete pathway, a project which they hoped would end their struggle and will prevent the same incident to happen again.

Naga, an interior municipality found in ZamboangaSibugay province, is considered to have frequently pressing humanitarian concerns because of the prevailing climate of distrust and fear among its residents caused by peace and order threats. A home to tri-people, the Christians, Muslims and the Lumads, Naga has been continuously struggling to be able to get loose from stereotypical impression of the outsiders that their town is a conflict torn and affected community.

Tess was in town of Sulo that day saw her neighbors rushing to a school located in Bulansing (an isolated sitio in barangay Sulo) to fetch their daughters and sons.

“Nagchaos ang mga tawu, nanagan mi. Nakit-an naku ang uban gahilak gadagan padung sa skwelahan didtu sa Bulansing. Layu-layu man pudtu, mga upat kakilometro gikan sa sentro. Dili man sya accessible by vehicles, maskin kanang single motorcycles, kinahanglan pa baclayun. Mao tu naglisud ang mga parents kuha dayun sa mga anak.” (Everyone panicked. We ran,  and I saw some of our neighbors were crying, rushing to school to fetch their children. The school was four kilometres away from us and it was not even passable for vehicles making it difficult for parents to get their children immediately.)

Aside from this, Tess also recounted that the police struggled to respond because they still had to walk through the narrow and hilly trail to get to the crime scene. The same incident transpired after a few weeks and this prompted the community members to act upon the situation.

“Bahin atu, nakadecide mi kay concrete pathway gyud ang among kinahanglan ibutang sa sitio Bulansing. Nakit-an namu kay dakug kaayuhan gyud ning ihatag. Una, easy and safe access para sa tanan, ang pagresponde sa pulis kung naay mga panghitabu, human narealize pud namu kay kini pud ang mahimung bridge sa mga lain-lain nga tribo.” (Because of that, we saw the need to construct a concrete pathway. We saw that it was the best project for all. Aside from it can give us easy and safe access for the residents, most especially for the police whenever something happens, we also realized that it can serve as a bridge between our people.) Tess recounted, referring to the Subanens who live in Bulansing.

“Kami isip myembro sa komunidad, gi-konsider namu sya kaayuhan pud sa mga Subanen tribe. Ang nigawas man ngamuragsacentrolangangnatagaanug project kung asa ang mga kristyano, syempre lain pud nang feeling murag nabiyaan sila. So gusto pud namu participate pud sila kay para sa ilaha man pud nang dalan.” (As a member of the community, we also considered the welfare of the Subanen. Because when we were given the first project of PAMANA, it seemed that they were left behind. So we wanted them to participate because the pathway was for their own good.)

Through the 300,000 cash grant from OPAPP, the construction of concrete pathway was constructed in sitioBulansing, barangay Sulo, Naga in September 2013. The implementation of the sub-project followed the Kalahi-CIDSS Community Driven Development approach which gives opportunity to the community members to participate in the entire process through volunteerism.

The completion of the concrete pathway came in no time which has been credited to the determination, unity and cooperation among the people of barangay Sulo regardless the religion, tribe, age and gender, everyone took part to ensure there is security and peace in the community.

Tess sees volunteering as an opportunity to share her knowledge as a public servant and at the same time will pave the way for Lumad to establish a better relationship with other people.

“Maskin wala compensation nga madawat okay lang basta duna pud mi ikashare nga kahibalu. Kay anytime mawala ta sa kalibutan di natu madala. So karun that’s the time na itodo na. Nakit-an pud namu pagkakakaron dunay na syang linkages, nagmingle na ang mga kristyano, muslim ug mga Subanen nga nipuyo sa Bulansing.  Ang ilahang gibati kay ang centro gane naka dawat  sa pamana, kami pud so nafeel na nila kay part  pud sila sa community, sa paglambu. Nibalik ang ilahang pagsalig sa gobyerno, walay rejection, maskin unsa ang lahi, Sa Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA, tanan gitrato as kalahi.” (Even we don’t get any compensation, I just wanted to share my little knowledge because anytime we might just leave this world, we cannot bring it with us after all. The project also now serves as a linkage between Christian, muslim and Subanen. It made them feel that they are part of the community because they too availed of the Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA project. They now feel that they are part of the progress, they gave back their trust to the government, no more rejection, regardless the religion, the tribe, the culture, with Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA, everyone is treated the same). Tess stated.

Tess also added that their community now feel safe and secured above all. “Di na mi mabalaka kay kabalu mi, di mi biyaan sa gobyerno kay gihatagan nila mig dalan padung sa kalinaw.” (We now feel safe because we know the government will never leave us because they have bequeathed us a legacy—a pathway to peace.)

The PAMANA implementation of DSWD is nearing its end  in 11 municipalities in Western Mindanao. In its wake, it has left behind 634 community projects like roads, schools, health stations and livelihood enhancers that immediately address the community’s needs. But more than just concrete structures, PAMANA has left some more important legacies – peace, unity and a progressive community.