Living for more than a decade in Zone 6 of Brgy. San Isidro, Buhi, Richard Leido can easily tell how much their lives changed because of an infrastructure project that was completed within 10 days under the Cash-For-Work Program of the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur. 

Recalling his experience of passing by in this part of their barangay for over a decade as an access going in or out of the barangay, he attested, “Dati, nahihirapan dito ang mga dumadaan kasi medyo madamo at maputik. Saka sa mga transportasyon tulad ng mga motor ng mga lalabas na tao naging mahirap kasi putik talaga ang daanan dito.”  

Now that the pathwalk is finally constructed, it has benefitted the local residents in the area with the kind of convenience that they have longed for a very long time. According to him, “Ngayon na naayos na ang daanan, naging masaya ang mga taga rito kasi nagkaroon na po ng magandang daanan saka naging madali na rin yung transportasyon dito lalo yung may mga motor. Hindi na sila mahihirapan. Di na sila mapuputikan kaya malaking tulong sa amin ang ganitong pathwalk dito.”  

“Magandang oportunidad ang pagkakaroon ng ganitong programa sa mga tao dito kasi nagkaroon ng concreting of pathwalk, saka nagpapasalamat din ang mga tao dito kasi malaking tulong talaga ito lalo na rin pag may mga nagpapa-ani na dito dumadaan. Napaganda nila yung daan at napadali nila yung transportasyon,” he also added. 

Jaime Alfelor is one of the laborer beneficiaries that worked along with 16 other laborer beneficiaries for the construction of the 347-meter pathwalk in Brgy. San Isidro. He was a former driver of a trailer in Manila and among those who lost their jobs when pandemic broke out. 

“Maganda nga at nakasali kami sa Cash-For-Work Program kasi napakalaking tulong na po nito sa amin kasi biruin mo hindi mo inaasahan yung may makukuha ka na assistance,” he cheerfully shared. He added, “Ang kagandahan nga po sa programang ito ay nagkaroon tayo ng pandemic, nabigyan po ng tulong yung mga nawalan ng trabaho. Dahil dito sa paggawa ng pathwalk kahit papano may nakuha kaming pandagdag suporta sa pamilya.”

Each laborer beneficiary received cash assistance amounting to P310 per day for their hard labor to construct the pathwalk.

Kdg. Vincete Tale was the zone in-charge in Brgy. San Isidro and the one who requested for the construction of pathwalk. He said that that portion of the pathway was really difficult to access especially during rainy season. It was also a struggle to farmers in mobilizing or transporting their goods because it was the end point or boundary of Brgy. San Isidro. Zone 6 is more known as Sitio Sugod. 

“Sa pagkahaloy, pirang dekada na mayong proyekto na arog kaini, su mga residente igdi sa Sitio Sugod o Zone 6, very thankful na nagkaigwa nin arog kaining proyekto ta unang-una, ang mga produkto dae na nasasakitan magluwas puon sa kalsada hanggang sa boundary kan San Jose Salay. Kaya su mga tao igdi pwede po sinda magluwas sa San Jose Salay. Dae na po nadidipisilan an mga tawo. Igwa nin mga motor na pwedeng makaagi as means of transportation para sa mga tawo asin sa mga produkto. Sa mga estudyante po, dae na din sinda masasakitan lalo na pag mauran ta si mga estudyante igdi nagraralakaw po paduman sa San Jose Salay saka San Jose Elementary School. Pag mauran igdi, grabe an tirible an kabugtakan kan mga residente,” Vicente shared about the situation of the pathway before the pathwalk construction.

Delighted and grateful for the change this program has brought to their barangay, Vincente furthered, “Dakula po an pasasalamat mi sa ta sa ngunyan po nagkaigwa na nin marhay na agihan. Thank you po sa proyektong tinao nindo sa Brgy. San Isidro and hopefully, dae po mapundo an pagsuporta nindo digdi sa San Isidro.” 

Aside from Brgy. San Isidro, Brgy. Monte Calvario and Ipil were also among the communities in the municipality of Buhi who were able to benefit from the Cash-For-Work Program. In Brgy. Monte Clavario, three pathwalks that are around 400 meters long from Zone 1-3 were completed within 10 days by 30 laborer beneficiaries, while in Brgy. Ipil, which is located on the other side of Lake Buhi, a pathwalk that is 250 meters long was completed in 13 days by 7 laborer beneficiaries.