The goal for the day was get to a cluster of 28 homes of families perched on top of a plateau in the edge of Sitio Mahayahay, Montesuerte, Carmen, where Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, assisted by local officials and a non-government organization project director would break ground for a wind powered water pumping system, would give the farm residents families their domestic and irrigation water needs as well as household lighting.
Accessible largely only by carabao drawn carts supplying the community needs, this contraption is also a bane as this scrapes the dirt road’s top-soil, the erosion exposes slippery boulders, which effectively blocks motor vehicles up their narrow paths.
Walking the 3.8 kilometers from the nearest vehicle passable dirt road proved a decent feat for the uninitiated, and a bone chilling challenge for the four-wheel drive vehicle drivers carrying the officials to the Taytay plateau venue.
After all, the place has been populated by militant pheasant farmers who took over vast estate in the plateau property, many of them active rebels now rebel-returnees and beneficiaries of the government’s assistance package from the campaign to end local communist armed conflict (ELCAC).
“It was an option to drive with bushes scraping the SUV, or courting danger driving too close to the loose soil hanging on the precipice,” shares Capitol driver Jack Asumbrado.
Coming in a few minutes after Carmen Mayor Conchita Toribio arrived, her old and trusted Toyota Prado weaving through the newly plowed field, skidding every now and then before coasting to a stop a few meters from the event venue.
“Not only was it dangerous for accidents, it was also a perfect ambush site,” plainclothes policemen serving as the governor’s advance party added.
As Gov Aumentado arrive, mayor Toribio, Sibol nga Aghan at Teknolohiya (SIBAT) Project director Estrella Catarata, Board Member Nathaniel Binlod and Montesuerte Barangay chairman Michael Belentucas led the community in the ribbon cutting and ceremonial ground breaking of the project.
We fetch our drinking and washing water from behind that hill, we need water for our plants, we do not have electricity, and our road is dilapidated.
The guests of the village presented to the community the project: second level distribution of potable, domestic and irrigation water, as well as lighting using the excess electricity generated by the 5 kilowatt wind turbine powering a submersible water pump by its 24 volts lithium batteries.
“The drawn water would be stored in an 8 cubic meter elevated water tank filled through 2 horsepower submersible pump and distributed to the households after passing through an ultraviolet disinfection system, explains Catarata,” who is also the local Farmers Development Center (FARDEC) executive director.
The project, she said would be completed as proposed in July.
Aumentado, who admitted they had a rather bumpy ride, said climbing the muddy path was a challenge, that he directed the Provincial engineer’s office to send heavy equipment when the mud dries, to fix the road.
“Di matukib ang akong kalipay,” Pinarejo haltingly said, squinting at the camera flashes directed unto him, “kay mao gyud na ang among gikinahanglan, kinahanglan gyud nga maayo na ang karsada.”
“Nakita nato ang mga produkto dinhi, saging, lagutmon, bolanghoy, kini nagtug-an nato nga duna gyud diay produksyon ug angay lang tabangan,” (we see the products here: bananas, rootcrops, cassava, this tells us that indeed there is food production, and we have to help them) Aumentado, who sets the record as the first highest ranking public official to get to Mahayahay, said.
For SIBAT, he said, he told Catarata now to hesitate and coordinate with Capitol on anything that they can partner with.
We have seen your desire to serve the underserved, we are ready to partner with you, whatever you need, we will support you, he assured.
He also instructed Mayor Toribio to survey the nearest possible road from Mahayahay to Katipunan, where the government funded a multi-million cassava processing plant, something he said could be opened to bring the products to the market as fast and efficient.
For years, Mahayahay and Taytay have been laying as an unproductive wasteland tilled and occupied by militant farmers who have been smeared with the stigma as insurgency supporters if not armed rebels.
With the promised developments, barangay Montesuerte may inch its way to becoming a lucky mountain, home of comfortable and contented farmer families partnering with the government. (PIABohol)
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