“With great power comes great responsibility.” So goes a saying popularized by the wall-climbing and web-spinning superhero Spiderman.

In Barangay Campina, a small rural village in the Hilongos municipality of Southern Leyte, a different kind of hero lives. He has no super power. But he took it upon himself to assume great responsibility in order to help his community.

Meet Roland Lora, a simple farmer in his forties. Unlike Spiderman, he has limited knowledge of and access to technology. In fact, he has to borrow a computer and seek help in writing reports and creating presentations needed for meetings. Unlike Spiderman, he doesn’t have a fancy costume nor face mask. He dresses in workman jeans, slippers and a straw hat to stay comfortable under the heat while walking along fields and climbing mountains. Unlike Spiderman, he does not possess the status of an icon. He speaks plainly and from the heart. But like Spiderman, he has chosen to fight for the good.

With his unabashed commitment to make a difference, he gave the poor and previously divided residents of Hilongos the hope that they can be heard when they act as one. He managed to reach and organize civil society efforts for 44 out of Hilongos’ 51 barangays in less than a year. And in partnership with the local government, he is in the forefront of initiating and seeing through projects that address the community’s greatest needs.

Bottom-up Approach: Climbing Mountains

In the beginning, it was a feat to get anybody to listen. Roland recalls how he has had to dedicate his time, energy and heart to initiate.

He faced Leyte’s challenging geography of spread out towns as well as a number of upland areas. He literally climbed mountains under the heat of the sun only to be rejected by people too busy minding their own livelihood. There was difficulty in introducing change to traditional mindsets. He says, “Noong una, mahirap kasi parang hindi sila naniniwala sa aming ginagawa – na pang-masa at hindi pang-personal.” (At first, they didn’t believe in what we do, that it’s for the greater good and not for personal gain.)

But this hero believed in his cause and was not easily discouraged. Roland worked the ground. He returned again and again until he could organize enough listeners and talked to leaders. In these sessions, he shared the guidelines from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) providing room for the partnership between peoples and the government. He spent three days a week, with morning and afternoon sessions educating the communities about their rights and why they should be involved. His message is simple. He told them: “Mahirap tayo ngayon. Kung hindi tayo gagalaw at mag-participate sa gobyerno, mananatili tayong mahirap.” (Today, we are poor. If we do not act and participate in governance, we will remain poor.)

Little by little, he earned their attention and respect. This sparked more hope for change leading to a united civil society organization (CSO) with purpose and will in Hilongos.

Getting Things Done through Participatory Governance

Having organized as a group, the civil society organization of Hilongos mapped their current situation, reviewed the cause and effect and then brainstormed for possible solutions.

Roland and his peers from CSO laid out the needs and concerns of the major sectors such as farmers, fishermen, artisans, women and youth amongst others. They consolidated this into a report which they presented to the local government unit (LGU) representatives.

At the meeting, the LGU and CSO representatives discussed the merits of each item, prioritized through voting and defined an action plan. This served as input to the Bottom-up Budgeting process (BUB) and the Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP).

Out of the 2013 planning activities, a number of programs have successfully been initiated. This includes the farm-to-market road, SALINTUBIG potable water system and livelihood assistance for displaced workers.

The farm-to-market project is a prime example of sector representation, of a farmer speaking on behalf of farmers. Acting as CSO Co-Chair to the Local Poverty Reduction Action Team (LPRAT), Roland voiced out the difficulties he and his peers face. Poor infrastructure poses a challenge to their trade.
In response, the CSO team and LGU agreed to create an access road connecting the fields to commercial centers. This was allocated Php 10.5M at the BUB level.

With the joint monitoring of the LGU and the CSO, the farm-to-market road was completed within budget and schedule while also following engineering standards. The beneficial effect was immediate. The time and cost of bringing farm produce to the market was reduced substantially.

Seeing the great benefits felt by the people, the LGU allocated an additional Php 1M to the project. This stretched the road and allowed reach of additional farming communities. Both construction projects were completed within a short span covering December 2013 to March 2014.

The Hilongos community recognizes Roland and the CSO team as heroes for their volunteerism. They feel empowered by having their interests represented in LGU and CSO joint programs.

Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (MPDC) Catherine Fabular, from the LGU planning office supporting Hilongos Mayor Albert Villahermosa, commends Roland and his CSO team. She says, “The LGU recognizes how important a stakeholder they are in the process. The civil society organization now acts as a bridge. They have the passion. They give their time.”

Mang Roland accomplished amazing things, even without money or power. He leveraged his being one of the “common people” to organize, represent and lead his community. He is living proof of how heroism starts from the determination to make a difference. The Hilongos municipality is a testament of the success a community can achieve when its members work hand in hand towards their own development.

Rachelle San Pedro believes in people above all else. Call her idealistic but she is a fan of regular people who perform great acts of kindness with sincerity and passion. She is on the lookout for these stories of inspiration every day.