What would it take to bring a whole community together?
For Barangay Raya Timbab in Butig, Lanao del Sur, it did not need to be fancy. Just a place to gather and light in their homes and streets were enough.
Butig is about 52 kms from Marawi City, away from the hustle and bustle of urbanization. In Butig, rivers of fresh, cold water and green plains lay and the primary livelihood in the area is farming. The community has preserved the Meranaw culture well. Men, both young and old, still play the traditional Meranaw sipa, a sport played during royal events, while clad in Meranaw clothing. In fact, they proudly showed off their skills during the handover ceremony conducted 23 September 2019 for the newly constructed multi-purpose center and 37.5 KVA power transformer in Brgy. Raya Timbab.
These were done under the Mindanao Protection Project (MPP) being implemented by CFSI with the support of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Among the activities conducted by the MPP is the municipal protection profiling which aims to assess the vulnerabilities and needs of various barangays, including the aforementioned barangay.
During the turnover ceremony, Hadji Nasif Abolais Macabinta, Butig Project Committee (PC) team leader, shared that before the transformer was installed, electricity in their area was very weak, limiting sufficient lighting and water source for the entire community.
It was even more difficult during the Butig siege in 2016. When some residents from the affected barangays fled to Raya Timbab, there were twice as many residents in the barangay which made it more difficult to provide water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning to about 100 households of then, bigger sizes.
Soraida Panolong Mamao, a resident of Raya Timbab, also shared that the roads at night were too dark, making motorists highly vulnerable to road accidents.Further, the lack of a conducive assembly area made it a challenge for barangay and civil to gather the townsfolk for meetings. At times, they had to make do by borrowing a balcony in one of the houses.
The construction of the hall started in July this year. UNHCR provided Php 250,000 for the construction and procurement, while CFSI implemented the project. The community also gave a counterpart costing Php 30,000 or about 12 percent of the total cost.
Abolais said that the roads of Raya Timbab are safer now and more people have access to clean water. The community also plan to hold barangay assemblies in the new multi-purpose hall. Here, the community can gather peacefully and become more united.
The MPP aims to address the immediate protection needs of people affected by armed conflict and facilitates the rapid integration and rehabilitation of IDPs and returnees in Central and Northern Mindanao, and island provinces through the implementation of QIPs and protection monitoring trainings.
To learn more, you may view the MPP Project Brief here.