Thursday, 21 February 2013

Solar power … Artem Andaya (left), a native of Mambulao and an entrepreneur, shows how a solar power-generated lamp works to the members of the Kabihug tribe at Baranggay Osmena, Jose Panganiban. This lighting device is new to the residents, having been used to illuminating their mountaintop homes with kerosene lamps. However, he said that the tribal people have easily picked up on, and operated, the device quickly, which was distributed to them recently. Andaya is a member of Cose (Coalition of Services for the Elderly), a non-governmental organization, which works to help improve the living condition of the less-privileged elderly residents of Mambulao as well as the Kabihug people.

 
Andaya distributes the solar lamps to the Kabihug tribe members.
 
Mini-sari sari …. Recently, the Kabihug community became a recipient of a small sari-sari store – a generous donation from Cose. The store, which is being managed by a member of the tribal community, is benefiting the residents a lot by sparing them a two-kilometer walk from their mountaintop homes to the first store at Baranggay Osmenia at the foot of the mountain just outside the Mambulao poblacion. One good news is that the one who does the regular marketing has learned the rope of the trade - fast - , earning him praises from the town’s grocery storekeeper, who exclaimed: Ang galing talagang mamili ng Kabihug! Magaling ding magkwenta…! In photo with a Kabihug kid is entrepreneur Artem Andaya, who also moonlights as charity worker for Cose and an occasional politician. In fact, he is running for an office in the local council in the May elections under the Liberal Party, hoping that should he win, he would have more opportunity to further boost the welfare of the Kabihug people and speed up their assimilation into the Mambulao society. Andaya was a former council member in Mambulao. – Photos supplied






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