“As you grow older, you will discover why you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others,” Audrey Hepburn, an actress and humanitarian, once said.

This statement truly reflects on the journey of Argelyn L. Nacor, barangay secretary of Barangay Mabini in Donsol, Sorsogon. From her usual administrative duties, she took up the role as a Project Preparation Team (PPT) head or a community volunteer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS).

LEADING TO DEVELOPMENT

With a drive to help her community, she led the PPT in the planning and designing of projects that will directly resolve the most pressing problems of the Mabini.

Some of the problems experienced by the community were the lack of materials in the Child Development Center, which has been pivotal in early childhood care and development of young residents and limited access to essential services like transporting goods, safety of the children, and healthcare.

“Isa po ito sa mga pagsubok ng aming barangay kasi kulang kami sa kagamitan lalo na yung mga bata sa learning system, kulang po sila sa learning materials na pag-aaralan,” she shared.

(This is one of the challenges our barangay faced because we lack essential resources, especially for the children in the learning system. They do not have enough learning materials to study.)

She also added that the village needed the concrete pathways as residents from far-flung areas were always concerned about the safety of their children, difficulty in transporting agricultural products, and accessing health services.

To resolve the problems, the community has proposed and implemented the concreting of pathway and provision of amenities for Child Development Center funded under the KALAHI-CIDSS National Community-Driven Development Program (NCDDP) and Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP), respectively.

CHANGING PERSPECTIVES

However, Argelyn’s volunteering journey was not exempted from challenges, as some of the community members have questioned her capacity as a community volunteer.

She was criticized because some people thought that she was only attending training sessions and orientations for the team. They also assumed that she was receiving a salary from her volunteering.

Despite the doubts that she has received, she remained determined to lend a helping hand to the community.

“Nalagpasan ko ‘yan noong napaliwanag ko sa tao kung ano yung role ko as a volunteer at kung ano ang maihahatid nito sa barangay. Doon naintindihan nila kung ano yung capability as a volunteer,” she recalled.

(I overcame this when I was able to explain to the people regarding my role as a volunteer and what it could bring to the barangay. That was when they began to understand the true capability of a volunteer.)

Through her volunteering, Argelyn understood how her selfless act could create change for her village.

“Dahil dito sa KALAHI-CIDSS project, yung mga volunteer doon nila nalaman or naranasan kung paano maki-communicate hindi lang dito sa barangay, sa other barangay din. At nalaman din nila kung paano na-prove yung mga kakayahan nila na maging volunteer,” she noted.

FOR SELF AND COMMUNITY

A village takes time to grow. It requires strength, time, and an open mind for change, which is also the same with personal development.

Argelyn likened herself to a community in which she continues to evolve through her experiences and development of skills.

“At the same time, maico-compare ko ito kung paano ma-develop ang isang barangay kasi yung barangay at the same time nade-develop kung baga nai-improve at the same time, yung sarili ko nai-improve ko din,” she explained.

(At the same time, I can compare this to how a barangay develops because, just like the barangay that is continuously improving, I am also improving myself.)

The volunteer also shared that KALAHI-CIDSS also prepares her and the community for the future.

“As a volunteer, ang pagkakaintindi ko sa konsepto ng KALAHI-CIDSS kung baga ipi-prepare yung barangay upang maging handa, step by step. Kung paano yung ma-implement yung project,” she stated.

(As a volunteer, my understanding of the concept of KALAHI-CIDSS is that it prepares the barangay step by step to become ready for project implementation.)

Argelyn’s choice to become a volunteer has created a path for her to learn, develop, and demonstrate her capabilities with one hand. But by extending her other hand to the community, she made sure that development does not only remain in her but also to the people around her. True progress occurs when we empower ourselves while uplifting others.