MANILA, Philippines - If, for a few hundred pesos that would last only a few days, people readily respond to a call for warm bodies, what more for a grant that could turn their community around.
And so when Talk ‘N Text sent out invitations to “Anibersaya,†their 13th anniversary road show, residents from every barangay they visited came in droves — to be counted, literally. The six barangays that had the numbers won the grand blowout: a grant for a community development project.
Winners of the Barangay Hakot program were Maura in Aparri (for North Luzon), Matatalaib, Tarlac City (Central Luzon), Bitano, Legazpi City (South Luzon), Tiza in Roxas City (Visayas) San Isidro, General Santos City (Mindanao), and Calumpang in Binangonan, Rizal (Mega Manila).
Barangay Tiza used the grant to procure medical equipment. Villagers now can have their blood pressure checked anytime at the health center, which has brand new digital blood pressure monitors. If they need a nebulizer, they no longer have to borrow from the city hospital, they now have their own.
On weekends, barangay health workers go from house to house, weighing scales in tow, to monitor the progress of children in the barangay feeding program.
Barangay Matatalaib installed street lights in Sitio Suba, for the longest time the darkest section in the village.
“When we heard about the challenge, we rallied the villagers, and mobilized,†said Barangay Captain Winston Torres. He reported that there has since been a marked improvement in the peace and order in the community.
While the projects were funded by Talk ‘N Text it is the villagers who came together for a common cause that made change possible, said Jane Basas. “We wanted to foster the spirit of the “Araw-araw Panalo†campaign of Talk ‘N Text, the value prepaid brand of Smart Communications, Inc.
The campaign celebrates the small everyday victories of the brand’s target market. “We want to show that through simple little acts, people can achieve victories that can create big impact,†Basas added.
In Calumpang, Binangonan, the little ones are now enjoying the fruit of their elders’ efforts.The barangay council installed a new air conditioning unit in the day care center; they also repainted the community center.
The room is now bright and airy; the children are more comfortable, said Barangay Captain Irineo Apostadero.
Similarly, Barangay Bitano in Legazpi City used the grant to renovate the day care center and installed new sinks. Now the children are taught good health and hygiene, said Barangay Captain Joel Balinis. Parents also have proper cooking and serving areas for the feeding program.
Backyard tourism got a boost in the small seaside barangay of Maura in Aparri. The villagers built beach front cottages for visitors. The village is a popular vacation spot among students and families not only from Cagayan but also other areas like Isabela, said Barangay Captain Larry Chan.
Barangay San Isidro in General Santos City used the grant for a livelihood project and for the purchase of equipment to improve social services, particularly for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, women and children.
Barangay Captain Jose Edmar Yumang intimated that in their desire to win, the village used trucks to transport residents to the venue of “Anibersaya.†Now truckloads of villagers are also benefitting from the grant.
Matatalaib Barangay Captain Torres summed it up this way: Talk ‘N Text did not just award a prize to the villages, it transformed them.