By Anthony A. Araos
I’m happy to explain the reasons behind the hardships of folks in Ifugao at length for they are the rare reason why some generous lawmakers in Congress are backing up a flagship government program.
I’m very happy to see that this all-important program is being fully supported by a prominent lawyer who will surely work closely with well-meaning legislators to ensure that laws and policies will be reflective of the needs of the people, most especially the poor.
I was interested in each of their actions and could see them as interrelated and belonged together. They all contributed to the learning of life as it is lived.
A large portion of the public has a tremendous interest in the solutions offered by experts on the mounting unemployment problem. Well, joblessness is no longer an unusual event that arouses one’s curiosity and awakens sympathy.
It’s all about Senator Cynthia Villar infusing a Php 2 million fund for Ifugao to augment the cash-for-work TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers) program. In turn, former Ifugao governor Dennis Habawel is playing an increasingly important part in relaying the information to grassroots officials and in giving expression to it. In time, he shared the valuable information with barangay government officials. There is good news for villagers in dire straits. The opportunity of getting a job in these difficult times is simply too good to miss. Call it congressional insertions, Sen. Villar’s kind heartedness may be described as a strategic and institutional partnership between the government and the barangays to enhance the utilization of public funds.
Sen. Villar’s timely assistance offers a windfall to barangay officials truly desirous of helping jobless villagers. Barangay Poblacion South (in Lagawe) is a case in point. Punong Barangay Johnson Guinanoy and his councilmen (Gerard Pagadut, Romando Botuagan, Joy Allaga, Michaela Sanchez, Federico Guinid, Cheinung Humiding, Zojie, Zojie Eheng, Roxanne Bogbog and Dexsin Lunag) greatly expressed their gratitude to Sen. Villar and Atty. Habawel. For sure, folks are to receive the news with joy, awe and wonder. Another “accomplishment” for PB Guinanoy, a soft-spoken leader already recognized for initiating development projects in this part of the town.
Assigning this task to barangay officials, however, carries big responsibilities. In recent times, relatives and supporters of local officials ended up in TUPAD’s list which necessitate the negation of the true intent of the program. A graft case was filed against former Quezon City representative Precious Hipolito-Castelo for anomalous implementation of the program.
I’m optimistic that Lagawe folks who lost their homes and jobs during the recent Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi) be accommodated in the TUPAD program thus, be reintegrated into the work force.
Habawel painstakingly explained the details of the TUPAD program’s mechanisms. They immediately recognized its familiar elements. This puts them at ease. Many of them were so wary of helping their constituents due to scarcity of barangay funds.
Ensuring that pipelined projects such as this one paved the way towards delivering much-needed assistance to folks in the most secluded barangays, Habawel went to Lagawe’s marginalized villages. Difficult job of going around the town often all by himself. Even days after Typhoon Pepito hit Ifugao and much of Northern Luzon. I didn’t say it was easy, did I?
Good, Atty. Habawel has a firm purpose of going forward for job creation and help bring people out of poverty. Habawel said this development outlines the goal to further curb the lingering unemployment problem across a range of villages including far-flung ones. Lagawe has 20 barangays. It is unfortunate, that to this day, many are istill living a hand-to-mouth existence.
In Lagawe, once more there is a need to transform it to become dynamic and progressive for present and future generations. Promoting the people’s welfare is always in Habawel’s mind. In short, the well-being of the people never comes second.
Much of the crafting of the province’s honest-to-goodness development plan took place during Habawel’s incumbency, laying down the strong foundation of Ifugao that the people see today. His successors resorted to adjustments all in the hope of ensuring that the development was as relevant and responsive to the needs of the times.
In the years after, the story of then Gov. Habawel master-planned blue print would be told and retold by many, always with great pride. It would be looked upon as one of the greatest game-changing development plans for a province long mired in poverty and underdevelopment. His people had faith in him and his actions. They believed and trusted what he said.
For the longest time, concerned folks tried to call the attention of the government to provide them with opportunities to uplift their economic conditions.
The stakes in life-changing poverty mitigating schemes such as the TUPAD, albeit it has a rather short duration, are high indeed, for not only the joblessness woes, but survival itself, due to the severity of the poverty level and adaptational demands in geographical locations.
Even as NGOs should be equipped to join monitoring efforts of the TUPAD in order to transform them as agents of accountability to safeguard the interest of the people.
On the edge of the crucial May 12, 2025 midterm polls, on the brink of electing a “new” mayor in this capital town, Lagawe folks are racing blindly into the future. But where do they want to go? What would happen if they actually tried to answer this query? I have a very good answer. Nonetheless, something else strongly persist. My unquenching instinct to look for, perhaps, few folks who are still not yet hopelessly ignorant of present-day issues and realities. Doing otherwise, is a horrifying idea!
Politicians promised jobs, jobs and jobs. Folks, however, have heard such promises for decades. Or do you want a life free from hunger, a life of dignity, abundance and prosperity. It is as simple as that.
With resources fast drying up, the provincial and municipal government are now simply operating in the “last two minutes” of the year. Luckily, Sen. Villar, the mother of House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar and Atty. Habawel – both graduates of the University of the Philippines, are around. Thank you, God in Heaven, for giving the people a new ray of hope. For generosity, too, is indeed stamped indelibly upon the two hearts: of Sen. Villar and Atty. Habawel – servants of the people, not masters of the people. I’ve always pushed for long-term solutions. I urge the government to invest in clear economic programs that could create jobs for those who are below the poverty line. **
