In a small village in Siargao, a group of mothers proved that women empowerment can stem from helping and supporting one another through the simplest of deeds, a “paluwagan” of PHP50 per week, a shared dream that also offers moral support, and some help from the government.

Starting with about 20 mothers of daycare students in Barangay Bitoon, Del Carmen, on Siargao Island, they have now grown to over 50 members and transformed into a thriving community organization, united with one goal: to build a savings fund to help ease financial hardships faced by families in the community.

“Kami-kami lang talaga. Hindi kami lumalapit sa gobyerno noong una. Sabi ko, kahit tag-PHP50 lang, simulan natin (t’s just us. We didn’t approach the government at first. I said, even if it’s just PHP50, let’s start),” Meralyn Tesiorna, the founding member and president of the Women’s Association of Brgy. Bitoon (WABB), who was also the daycare teacher, told the PNA.

From the initial seed, the mothers built a savings-and-loan scheme that doubled as a lifeline during crises.

She said that she saw the everyday difficulties being faced by her fellow mothers in getting through their daily needs, from getting short on the budget for the food of the family, to buying school needs, and most especially, in cases when a family member gets sick.

Because of this, Tesiorna thought of starting the traditional savings scheme to pool money to help one another.

“Meron kaming social fund. Kapag nagkasakit ang anak, pwede makakuha kahit PHP500 para sa gamot. Nakakatulong din yun (We had a sort of a social fund. If a child gets sick, the mother can get a loan of even PHP500 for medicine. That’s already a big help),” she added.

Over time, the pooled savings eventually grew and helped families fund home renovations, weddings, children’s schooling, and even community fiestas.

To further help one another set aside an amount for their savings, another mother allowed other members to use her family’s idle land, and soon, the group ventured into a community garden, planting vegetables like okra, pumpkin, and bottle gourd on borrowed land.

The produce not only provided food security but also extra income.

“Yung kita namin dito, yun na yung panghulog namin sa kada week, yung sobra naibebenta pa namin (The income we earn here was used for our weekly savings, and then we sell the excess),” Tesiorna explained, adding that eventually, resorts and local businesses became their buyers, turning the mothers into legitimate suppliers.

Tesiorna noted that the initiative boosted not just their personal finances but also their dignity.

She said that beyond the money, the group gave women a newfound confidence.

“Karamihan sa mga nanay dito, walang trabaho. Stress lang sa bahay, takot pang magsalita sa barangay assembly. Kaya sabi ko, gawa tayo ng ganito, ngayon, na-empower na ang mga nanay (Most of the mothers here are unemployed. They are stressed at home, and they are even afraid to speak up in the barangay assembly. But now, the mothers here are empowered),” she added.

As their savings grew, so did their impact, and slowly, the group’s activities and efforts got noticed by the local government unit, and even by concerned government offices like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Tesiorna said the DSWD already provided them with a livelihood cash aid of PHP7,700 per member, boosting their garden project.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) also donated seeds and extended technical help, validating the mothers’ initiative.

And now, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is considering to include the group under its Project Transform, or “Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Environmental Sustainability through Multi-Stakeholder Engagement.”

Project Transform aims to break silos and push for collaborative, science-informed, locally grounded solutions that build both community resilience and environmental sustainability.

Through the initiative, the DENR engages companies, non-government organizations, and grassroots organizations for funding, capacity-building, and technical expertise.

Its goal is to transform local communities into models of resilience and sustainability by addressing environmental issues while at the same time uplifting lives through jobs, training, and livelihood projects linked to environmental conservation.

“Nakita namin kung ano ang naging storya ng WABB, so doon namin nakita na may magandang aral na pwedeng maibahagi sa iba ang kanilang sinimulan na grupo.So doon namin napag-isipan na ilakad o tulungan ang WABB in our capacity under Transform na baka pwede silang masali dun sa gender and development program ng DENR (We saw what the WABB story was, so we saw that the group they started had good lessons that could be shared with others. So we thought that we could help WABB in our capacity under Transform, so that maybe they could join the gender and development program of the DENR),” Maricel Indico, Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS) Planning Officer of the DENR Caraga said.

The DENR Caraga is also working to link the WABB with other stakeholders who can also help the group.

From supporting and standing side-by-side, these women of Siargao have not only saved up. They have also cultivated empowerment, resilience, and pride, showing that with unity and timely support, even the smallest seeds can bear the biggest fruit. (PNA)