A flourishing eatery up in the mountains of Cabucgayan town is being run by a group of women organized by the DSWD Field Office VIII in coordination with the municipal government. Timely, it opened on May 24 of this year, on a summertime when business is good. For it is here at Barangay Balahid where the route to Casabangan Falls starts. And the “carenderia” is just a few meters away from the first of a string of nine falls.One can just request for food and have it brought (free delivery) to the picnic site where there are bleachers set up by the provincial government. There is electricity, but the women have already some meat, fish marinated.

DSWD granted the Casabangan Rural Improvement Club Php200,000.00, and Php80, 000.00 was initially used for start – up capital and Php6,000.00 for the purchase of materials for the shack built out of “pintakasi.”The rest of the money are deposited in the bank as standby fund. Warren Briccio, the DSWD’s Project Development Officer assigned in this locality, says the financial assistance is taken from the DSWD’s Enterprise Capital Assistance, part of the agency’s recovery and rehabilitation efforts on livelihood for Yolanda victims.

 The president of the group, Miralina Alberca, proudly tells the good “samahan” or partnership of the group. She says that from the 23 of them, there is rotation of duty of three members. Since it is peak season, all of them have their hands full. Sometimes, they would have to stay a little late at night when tourists have not returned. Most, if not always, the visitors would still order food after their long adventure, Alberca narrated. There is, indeed, teamwork as they won’t mind volunteering to help even if it is not their duty. The smallest gross income for the day is approximately Php3,000.00, with the biggest so far reaching to Php18,000.00!

Tourists from as far as Hongkong, Japan, and Taiwan have been to this scenic spot. Teeming with tourists, the community has become alive, and the women have no longer been idle. Briccio says that with the local government unit working hand in hand with the DSWD, the two partner – entities are closely monitoring the progress of the venture. The beneficiaries have been taught of proper bookkeeping, and should their enterprise works well, they will then go into t-shirt printing.T-shirts will come as souvenir items for Casabangan Falls, so the group’s president narrates. They always look forward each day with enthusiasm. Alberca says a big change in their personality is their having self-esteem or seeing their own worth as individuals. These women are no longer ashamed to face people.#