Moro community impresses with 'bayanihan' spirit

COTABATO CITY, Philippines --- Representatives of the World Bank were impressed with a Moro community's "bayanihan" in Pagalungan town in Maguindanao in helping build and maintain a WB-assisted post-harvest facility project.

Chiyo Kanda, World Bank’s portfolio manager, who led a 10-member team that recently inspected various WB-funded projects in the ARMM last week, witnessed the traditional “bayanihan” style of residents of Barangay Galakit in Pagalungan in building a communal solar dryer and a warehouse designed to improve their productivity.

The project is being implemented under the ministerial control of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Social Fund Project (ASFP), which is being assisted both by the WB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The ASFP project management office in Cotabato City operates under the supervision of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman.

The warehouse and solar dryer project is being implemented as a community initiative by Barangay Galakit People’s Organization, which is led by Moro community elders, religious and traditional leaders, and representatives from the local women sector.

Irene Fernandez, who is in charge of the ASFP’s press and communications activities, said Barangay Galakit will receive some P1.06 million in assistance package to put up the post-harvest facility according to a community-designed work program.

“We came here to ask the community about their experiences in managing projects and to know what other assistance they need further to increase their production considering that they are family of farmers,” Kanda was quoted by Fernandez as telling residents during his visit last week to Barangay Galakit.

Experts from World Bank repeatedly rated “satisfactory,” in continuing evaluations that started about  six years ago, the AFSP’s implementation of WB-assisted projects in all of the ARMM’s component areas --- Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, both in mainland Mindanao, the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Lamitan and Marawi.

Fernandez said 921 villagers engaged in farming are the intended beneficiaries of the community post-harvest facility.

“It will be easier for the local farmers to dry their newly-harvested rice and corn grains once the facility is fully built. Surely, their income will increase as a result of having this facility right in the heart of Barangay Galakit,” a villager, Rowena Mamadra, said in Filipino.

Farmers in Barangay Galakit dry their harvests in commercial solar dryers at the town proper of Pagalungan and Pikit, North Cotabato, adding costs to their farming expenses.

Commercial solar dryer operators collect from farmers P12 per sack of rice and corn grains for drying services, and another P6 for each sack of dried grains stored in their warehouses.

Kanda’s team also inspected a school building being constructed the at the town center of Pagalungan, and the  ARMM’s Technical Education Skills Development Authority Manpower Training Center at Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, which are all being assisted by the ASFP.