Metamorphosis_Kalahi-CIDSS Compendium 2015

dadduma nga paset ti konstruksiyon ta saan laeng nga agtagibalay ken agtalon ti kaya
ti babai nga aramiden a kas pagarup dagiti lallaki nu di ketdi pati iti panagtrabaho iti
konstruksiyon” (We knew that a woman can do many things, even hauling and other
construction works because a woman is not just a housekeeper or a farmer, she can also
work in construction), Lourdes explained on her side as one of the laborers also.
With the active participation of Lourdes’ community, they had their Cycle 3. She turned
to volunteer herself as head of Procurement Team which the rest of volunteers agreed
to. With this position, she learned to manage the volunteers’ honorarium and the
procurement of construction materials.
“Kas met laeng nag-graduate tak iti kolehiyo gapu kadagiti trainings nga inatendarak
kasla dyay Procurement Training, Financial Management and Auditing. Tatta, ammo
kon nga i-budget ti pundo ti maysa nga banag tan ngamin nu lumabes ka iti nai-budget
ket agkaproblema ken mabalin ko metten nga usaren iti uneg ti pagtaengan mi daytoy a
dakkel a nasurok”(As if I was a college graduate because of the trainings I participated
just like the Procurement Training, Financial Management and Auditing. Now, I knew
how to budget our funds, because if you exceed to what was allotted, definitely you’ll
have a problem, and I can also use what I learned here in our house) Lourdes related.
Aside from her learning in procurement, Lourdes also learned on how to read program
of works and plans of their sub-project. “Saan laeng gayam nga lalaki ti mabalin nga
makabael no di ket mas nalalaing kami sa pay” (I just realized that, it’s not only for man,
but I guessed we [women] can do it even better), Lourdes jokingly uttered.
Currently, Lourdes is also a member of Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI) to
continue helping and supporting her town’s advocacy for development especially for
women.
Lourdes evolved into a woman she didn’t notice she would be. Unconsciously, as
she went through every cycle of the Project, as their sub-project went to a process of
development, she also went through to her own phases of personal growth. As one subproject
completed to another sub-project, she too achieved something – the learning
and experiences which to her were her triumph in life. Slowly, in every cycle, in every
phase, a leader is discovered, one is Lourdes. //
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