Canatuan, Zamboanga del Norte / September 2013 – TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVIRD) and the Coalitiion for Development in Sibugay (CODE-S) presented the chairpersons of 26 barangays of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte with development frameworks for each of their communities after a series of consultations with residents and thorough grassroots assessment. Each representative received a Barangay Development Plan (BDP) that is individually suited to their respective community’s available resources, skills and capacity of residents, and agro-climatic suitability of possible crops. The formal turn-over ceremony was held in Siocon’s sports complex.
TVIRD operates a copper-zinc mine in Sitio Canatuan, Barangay Tabayo in Siocon. Acknowledging significant development potential in the local villages, the company collaborated with CODE-S in crafting the development framework for each barangay community.
The Good Book
“The municipal development council will look into your BDPs before it approves a project,” said town administrator Engr. Felizardo Canama on behalf of Mayor Julius Lobrigas, encouraging each barangay chairperson to establish the necessary foundation for increased economic output, and ultimately, improve living standards in their communities based on their BDPs. Canama, who was invited as a special guest, also explained that BDPs will be elevated into the overall Municipal Development Plan following the Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB) approach to development planning adopted by the Aquino Administration since 2011.
CODE-S Executive Director Eugenio Sinoy explained that the BDPs are the collective output of consultations with the village council, traditional leaders and people’s organizations in the barangays. As each BDP is deeply-ingrained on the needs of each community, each also provides a progressive response on how to address these needs through livelihood. They now call these their ‘Bible’ or guidebook for development for each of their villages.
“The barangay folks themselves provided the data where you can now easily find their concerns and potentials for development in the plans,” Sinoy said. TVIRD and CODE-S spent significant time gathering respondents and references in order to harvest comprehensive data for each village.
Spreading the Word
“Like us in the mill operations, we have a guidebook that we call our ‘Bible’ that we always refer to in our operations. Without it, we cannot perfect our ore processing,” said TVIRD Mill Operations Manager Engr. Rey Carubio.
Village leaders also expressed gratitude to the company, which according to them, was instrumental in creating the BDPs as well as the social development projects implemented in their villages.
“They (TVIRD) built three mosques, a public toilet, and helped in the electrification of one of our sub-villages in my barangay,” said Barangay Captain Tuayong Laudin from S. Arabi, one of the town’s coastal villages populated by Muslim Tausugs.
“Without their help, we won’t be enjoying these facilities now,” he added.
Jesus Magdua of Barangay Latabon likewise shared the benefits of the company-supported health center and a farm-to-market road that helped mobilize a lot of his constituents and their goods.
Even the far-flung Muslim barangay of Malambuhangin benefitted from the construction of a multi-purpose building.
“I am really grateful for the company’s help. We’ve been waiting for this facility for many years,” said Malambuhangin Chairman Ibrahim Abdulmari.
TVIRD Community Relations Manager Joel Alasco said that all these projects are conducted under the company’s Social Development Management Program (SDMP). This year, the company allotted Php36.5 million for SDMP projects benefiting Christian and Muslim communities as well as its Subanon indigenous hosts. Likewise, TVIRD sustains its programs for responsibly managing and protecting Canatuan’s natural environment.