Biyaheng Totoo: PHL's poorest barangay in 2009 now sees a glimmer of hope

Barangay Pange in Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte was the poorest barangay in the Philippines in 2009 and the muddy and crooked roads leading to the small community were proof of that. But Barangay Pange is not a hopeless case. 

 

When GMA News reporter Kara David went back to the town six years later, there were only 1.16 km of concreted barangay or municipal road and 8.5 km of concreted national road. Of the 153 km of road in Siayan, roughly 10 km were paved road. 

 

But from 2010 to the present, the concreting of the barangay/municipal road has extended to 47.6 km and 19.5 km of the national road has been paved, bringing the total length of paved road to 67 kilometers. 

 

"When the roads are better, people start building homes and business estabalishment along the road. Nag-iimprove ang peace and order. The bad elements would tend to shy away from these areas," Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Information Officer Roberto Pinsoy said. 

 

For farmer Genaro Main, the better roads are indeed a big help. 

 

"Maganda na kasi meron na kasing kalsada. Dati inaabot akong isang araw kakalakad. Ngayon, may motor na, mga dalawang oras, nakakauwi na ako," he said in his native tongue. 

 

More work needs to be done 

 

Paved roads are not the sole indicator that the rural town is seeing some glimmer of hope. 

 

A hanging bridge which used to be made out of old wood is now reinforced with steel plates, allowing light vehicles to cross to the other side. 

 

Barangay Pange also now has electricity, access to safe potable water, and a cooperative where residents can easily purchase their needs. 

 

More importantly, Siayan made it out of the top 20 poorest municipalities, according to National Statistical Coordination Board's Poverty Incidence among Families data in 2012. 

 

In fact, the NSCB also reported that the poverty incidence rate dipped to 48 percent in 2012 from 2009's 60.3 percent. 

 

Despite all these improvements, more work needs to be done. 

 

Zamboanga del Norte is still identified as Cluster 1. Meaning, it is still considered among the poorest provinces in the country. Five out of ten families in the province are considered poor. 

 

More importantly, Mang Genaro's family is still eating corn every single day. And, only a few of his children are in school.

 

"Ang pangarap ko pag-aralin ang mga anak ko para matuto sila. Hanggang sa aking makakaya, tutustusan ko ang pag-aaral ng mga anak ko.

 

"Kung maawa sa aking ang gobyerno at magbibigay sila, tatanggapin ko," he said. — Trisha Macas/JDS, GMA News