Zamboanga Sibugay Eyes Another Top 3 Finish in National SubayBAYANI Awards
IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay — Will Zamboanga Sibugay once again make it to the Top 3 and bring home the National SubayBAYANI Award?
The province took another step toward that goal as a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) validation team visited Barangay Casacon in RT Lim earlier today to assess Zamboanga Sibugay’s entry in this year’s national search.
The validation team was headed by DILG Assistant Regional Director for Region III Jay E. Timbreza, CESO IV, together with Joemily M. Feliciano, PM I of the Office of Project Development Services (OPDS), and Geoffrey Gomisong representing the Civil Society Organization (CSO).
Also present during the field validation were DILG Provincial Director Oliver Ombos, Engr. Venancio Ferrer III of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), Provincial Engineer Engr. Christopher Lazo, and Provincial Information Officer Almer Raagas.
The project being validated was the Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP) project in Barangay Casacon, funded by the DILG and implemented by the Provincial Government of Zamboanga Sibugay (PLGU).
With a budget of ₱54.41 million, the project involved the construction of approximately 3.690 kilometers of concrete road, providing a vital link for residents of Casacon and neighboring communities.
Zamboanga Sibugay has already secured a place among the Top 10 national entries, bringing the province closer to another possible national recognition. The field validation is part of the process of determining the Top 3 entries that will advance in the national awards, representing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The PLGU had earlier submitted documentation detailing the project’s implementation and, more importantly, the changes it brought to the lives of residents and neighboring communities.
The validators, however, went beyond the documents. Through face-to-face interviews with residents, barangay officials and other stakeholders, they sought to determine whether the project's reported impact was actually being experienced on the ground.
Among those who shared their experience was Barangay Captain Geraldine Gegrimos, a native of Casacon who said she has lived in the barangay for 59 years.
Gegrimos recalled that her father served as Teniente del Barrio as early as the 1960s, when Casacon was still part of the municipality of Ipil. She said the barangay was already established even before the municipality of RT Lim was created.
Her memories of growing up in Casacon were marked by difficult access to basic services.
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When she was studying, Gegrimos said they had to leave their home as early as 4 a.m. and walk about six kilometers to and from school.
Access to health services was also a major challenge, particularly during the rainy season when the road would become so muddy that the mud could reach their knees.
For farmers and other residents, transporting agricultural products to the town center was equally difficult and expensive because of the poor road condition.
The struggle to establish a proper road in Casacon, however, went back decades.
Gegrimos recalled that sometime in 1984, her father was working to have a road established in the area. At that time, the presence of the New People’s Army (NPA) posed another challenge. According to her recollection, the group opposed the road project because improved access could make it easier for military forces to enter the barangay.
She recalled an incident in which her father was allegedly tied up and a bulldozer was burned. Fortunately, her father was not killed. Officials from neighboring barangays also attested to the incident and the difficult circumstances experienced by the community during that period.
The dream of having a passable road would eventually take decades to materialize.
A project was approved in 2018, and its implementation finally became a reality during Gegrimos’ first term as barangay captain.
For the residents of Casacon, the concrete road has since become much more than an infrastructure project.
It has improved access to schools, health facilities, government services, markets and livelihood opportunities. Farmers can now transport their products more efficiently, while residents can travel to the town center with less difficulty and at lower transportation costs.
The improved road has also benefited residents of Tilasan, the neighboring barangay, which had previously been a recipient of a project under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).
The road has strengthened connectivity between the communities and provided residents with easier access to essential services and economic opportunities.
The field interviews allowed the DILG validation team to compare the information contained in the province’s submission with the actual experiences of the beneficiaries.
According to ARD Timbreza, the team was able to validate the veracity of the information submitted by Zamboanga Sibugay. He will present the results of the field validation to the national board for further assessment.
However, Timbreza made it clear that the validation does not yet guarantee Zamboanga Sibugay a place in the Top 3 or a national award.
The final decision will still depend on the national board and its evaluation of the shortlisted entries.
The validation nevertheless provided an opportunity for the province to demonstrate that the success of a government infrastructure project cannot be measured simply by kilometers of concrete road constructed or funds utilized, but by the difference it makes in the lives of the people.
Under the leadership of Governor Dulce Ann K. Hofer, the Provincial Government of Zamboanga Sibugay has continued to emphasize the importance of infrastructure projects that directly respond to the needs of communities, particularly those that have long struggled with limited access and connectivity.
The Casacon road tells a story that goes beyond its 3.690 kilometers of concrete pavement.
It is a story of children who can now travel to school more easily, farmers who can bring their products to market with less difficulty, residents who can access health and government services more conveniently, and communities that are no longer as isolated as they once were.
It is also a story that began decades ago, when residents first dreamed of a road that would connect Casacon to the rest of the municipality.
Now, that dream stands in concrete.
Whether the story of Casacon will be strong enough to bring Zamboanga Sibugay back into the national Top 3 and possibly secure another SubayBAYANI Award remains to be decided.
For now, the province awaits the decision of the national board, hopeful that the transformation witnessed in Casacon will once again put Zamboanga Sibugay among the country's outstanding local government performers.
