It has been said that one without vision is one without hope. When, then, an entire community comes together with their shared aspirations, there indeed is much reason for hope.

In January 2018, as among the initiatives under the Adult Capability Building Program of Cartwheel Foundation, Inc., indigenous Tagbanua members of Sitio Alulad, Culion, Palawan met with Cartwheel community development facilitators to express how they envisioned progress in their area. Among the projects they hoped to take on were the construction of a health center, making way for a basketball court as a safe space for their children, and the setting up of a water system to have a clean water source for their families.

On February 22, Cartwheel Program Officer for Education Charissa Lopez again met with the same community to validate their expressed vision. Tagbanua members in attendance agreed that their top priority would be the water system, as a freshwater source for the families within their island community.

 

An action plan was determined and specific individuals committed to following through with the necessary steps. Dencio Lido and Teddy Abella would lead in identifying the exact water source within their island. They would then coordinate with their barangay to proceed in requesting assistance for the actual water system set-up. Carlos Lido would then cascade said action plan to the rest of the community members. They determined to take on these steps from March to April 2018.

 

Along with its development partners Loyola College of Culion, San Miguel Foundation, and TELUS International Philippines, Cartwheel remains fully supportive of the Tagbanua’s initiatives toward their own community development. Their commitment to work together in seeing their shared vision come to fruition is encouraging and hope-filling indeed.