Volunteers bring education, health services to isolated village

MAITUM, Sarangani (November 22, 2007) – For the first time, residents of a hinterland village have received education and health services from an 80-person team of local, national and international agency partners.

"This is the most we could do for the people here," said Harrieta Naungayan, community organizer of International Aid after her group gave shots of vaccine against measles to 32 kids in sitio Tulad and Banate.

Naungayan, along with barangay officials of New La Union and representatives of the municipality of Maitum and the Department of Education (DepEd), braved river-crossings and rains in a four-hour trek just to reach the villages.

"Mahirap makarating dito, but we are trying to give them the services they need," said Naungayan.

In the November 12 visit, the Altenative Learning System (ALS) of DepEd also graduated 45 T'bolis from the program.

Aura Mirayo, teacher-in-charge of Kipalkuda Elementary School in New La Union handed over the certificates of graduation to ALS beneficiaries.

"We want to give education to everyone," said Mirayo, who addressed the students and the community in T'boli language.

ALS is a program of the national government which aims to give basic education to people who don't have ready access to schools.

"Nalipay mi na naa ang ALS. Ang uban sa amoa, kabalo na musulat ug mubasa," said Miga Sulan, a 40 year-old housewife who graduated from the Level Two of ALS.

Level One students are taught preparatory lessons while Level Two students learn writing, reading and mathematics.

"Unta magpadayon ang programa sa gobyerno sa paghatag ug edukasyon sa mga layo ug gipuy-an, " said Diosdado Dagang, program instructor of ALS in Tulad and Banate.

"I let them choose the schedule of our classes since most of them have to work in the fields," said Dagang who is being paid by the program P3,000 for 200 class hours.

Those who graduated from Level Two are now eligible to take a placement test to determine what grade they can enroll in the formal school.

"I would really like to see the day that all our people in the hinterlands can read and write," added Mirayo who is a T'boli herself.

Several of those who graduated brought their children to a chapel converted by MATCH personnel into a makeshift clinic where kids and adults were given vaccines and medicines.

MATCH - Maximizing Access To Child Health - is a project of the International Aid and the United States Agency for International Development. It aims to improve health services for children less than five years in the first district of Sarangani.

Its objective is to reduce diarrhea, acute respiratory illness, and malnutrition, the formation of care groups and strengthen barangay health stations through community organizers who will deal directly with the households of the three municipalities of Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum.

"We will try to give them the services they need. Nakita man nato ang sakripisyo sa pag-adto pa lang diri ," said Digs Movilla, barangay captain-elect of New La Union brought along with him other newly-elected barangay officials.

"Problema diri tubig ug skwelahan. There are several springs nearby and the river is near but we still have to look for donors of water-pipes so we could build a water system for them," said Movilla.

Movilla emphasized the importance of vigilance among people of Tulad towards the environment.

"Whatever they do here, it will go down to us in the lowlands, especially with the river. Sa kanila nakasalalay ang kalinisan ng Pangi River," said Movilla.

Pangi River is the site of the famous White Water Tubing Adventure of Sarangani. It was cited as the second cleanest river in the country by the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran in 2003.

"Tulad", which means picture in T'boli, is part of the town of Kiamba. However, Tulad kids go to school in Maitum since it is more accessible. Their voters are also registered in Maitum where the nearest markets are. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE/RIO)