Mission Impossible : Damulo-an Experience

(Meeting conducted with the people of Damulo-an)

We had our road trip to Barangay Damulo-an to conduct Meeting with regards to Livelihood program or possible infrastructure project to be implemented in their community. The people from the place will decide as to what is their priority.

(Kuya driver - thanks to him for the safe ride)

The village is located in the western part of our municipality with about 290m. elevation from the sea level.We toke it for about 46 minutes ride on a motorbike, crossing 8 streams and conquering the mountainous topography. The hilly and rough terrain route towards the target barangay makes this adventure a moment to remember!

(Troubleshooting the motorbike 🏍)

The main source of income mostly of the people from this community highly depend on abaca and coconut trees. Fiber making out of the abaca and Copra making from the fruit of coconut trees tend to be their livelihood for a long time. Not until a virus called “brontispa” and typhoon Haiyan destroyed everything. Their hectare by hectare wide plantation of abaca and coconut were cutdown and died.Their living turns upside down. Everything change since then.

(Abaca and coconut trees)

(Mechanical machine that extract the fiber from the abaca)

Brgy. Damuloan could be considered as an isolated or remote area in our municipality. Sometimes we call it Mission Impossible Barangay. Going up to thier barangay is not easy. That moment in our life when it’s like taking a circus rides like roller coaster or octopus ride etc. that we are forced to do so. You’ll ended up psychologically and physically drain. Traumatic isn’t it? Because you used up all your energy and motivation to live just to survive that ride.I am not exaggerating things. But for those who like extra challenge adventure like going to such the place i am describing above this is a fun thing for them.

(Actual road - I am taking picture while onboard)

Actually there is no exact road we are just following the marks leaves of the vehicle who went to the place. The road had been made because it has been the usual route of the vehicle going in and out from their barangay. Just a lucky day for us because it’s not rainy on that day. Their soil is clay type that when it get wet it become soft and muddy. When it happen to be a rainy day that would be terrible and make our trip more complicated.

But what’s the highlight of this trip. It is when we go straight and countering the flow of the stream. The stream serves as our guide towards their Barangay. My driver told me that the end of the stream is an indication that soon we will see again the trail that is made by the vehicle who have gone to the place.

It wasn’t scary going straight with the stream what scared me most is when I encountered rockmade road on my way. The people from Damulo-an take time to arrange the flat side of the big rock to imitate a concrete-like road. But in my mind, this become more dangerous because the rock is sometimes are more slippery than the concrete road. That when my driver by chance hit that slippery part of the rock that would make us crash. and fall the big rocks.For my observation It would really live wounds and bruises to me. A memorabilia during my community service!

(Rocky road isn’t it? I prefer to walk it but Kuya driver insisted not)

This trip would be considered for myself as a breathtaking and death defying adventure but, for some maybe a wonderful experience to try. A Bucket list to an adventurous person.This depends on our interest. Whether adventurist or not safety and security should always to be considered and strictly observed.

The meeting was participated mostly by their Purok leaders to represent the whole village. Explaining the advantages and disadvantages both livelihood and infrastructure project that is identified by the recipient. The leaders chooses to implement a road concreting project to ease the access towards their barangay. They believe that everyone from their barangay would benefit from the decision they had made.

(Four side picture captured around their basketball court - their houses 🏠 are built along with this basketball court for security purposes)

Road concreting well for me I agree with them that this would help them have an easy access towards transporting their agricultural products to the market and thus eventually help them find income for their family. We leave the place with a hope in each of the people from Damulo-an that their agony in taking the risk of going in and out from their barangay would someday lessen and hopefully answered.

(Happy and jolly kids)

When I am living the place a question pop on my mind. Why those people I met from Brgy. Damulo-an still stay on that place? They are away from everything. Away from development and society. Even One of the folks told me that one time a pregnant women got miscarriage when taking her way to the proper of our town. They advices pregnant or suspect to be pregnant women to stay in the barangay for the period until she got recovered from her delivery.Bumpy and rocky road awaits you when you want to leave or see their place!

(House Architecture in Damulo-an)

I may not know what hold them back to stay! One thing I am sure it is their HOME! And their is no such thing on earth would replace a thing we considered Home!

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