How this 5th class municipality in Mt.Province never run out of food supply during lockdown

Photo Courtesy || Gal Dong

Cordillera - The culture of resiliency and looking after the welfare of your townmates is best exemplified by this small town in the Philippines during lockdown. 

The municipality of Sadanga in Mt.Province headed by Mayor Gabino Ganggangan has gone viral on social media for the actions it had implemented to keep its people get steady supply of food in times of calamities like the present Covid-19 pandemic. 

Sadanga was able to provide food for its people during the crisis without much needed help from the central government. 

In fact he decided to waive the food pack from DSWD in favour to those who need them most and also returning the excess Social Amelioration Fund amounting to P1.4 million. 

In a statement, Mayor Gangganang revealed how his town managed to survive this global pandemic, ensuring his town gets enough food supply. 

He said it is inherent in their culture to be resilient and to look into concerns and needs of each others in times of trouble or calamities. 

Ganggangan shared they have an indigenous system that takes care of the more needy. If there are families who are about to run out of rice stock, there are relatives, the "kadangyans" (better off) whom they can borrow from. He said every year they do not sell their harvest, they keep it in their granaries for next year's supply. 

"Every year after harvest, we do not sell our harvest, we keep it in our granaries for the next's year supply. During this Covid-19, we really did not run out of food," Gangganga said. 

Gangganang earned praised and appreciation from the Filipino people and also from DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista for the good practice it did during the community qurantine. 

"Binabati kita sa mga magandang practices na ginawa mo sa bayan ng Sadanga," Bautista told Ganggangan during the Laging Handa Network Briefing hosted by PCO Sec. Martin Andanar. 

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Sadanga, Mountain Province refuses food packs, donates it to less fortunate instead

Photo Courtesy || Gabino P. Ganggangan @ DSWD - CAR

Cordillera - The people of Sadanga, Mountain Province headed by the good mayor Mr. Gabino P. Ganggangan have shown great compassion and consideration when they decided to waived relief packs to less fortunate in other areas. 

"It is during these kinds of economic hardships such as "food shortages", hunger and famine that the "richer or better of" (kadangyans) among a clan or village are expected to aid their needy relatives by lending their surpluses", Mayor Ganggangan said in a statement. 

The mayor refused food packs from the national government to be given to those more needy urban poors in the cities and those less fortunate in other areas who can't sustain themselves.

Ganggangan explains that waiving relief packs does not mean no poor and needy families in their municipality however, its "built in" and homegrown or indigenous social structure, values, and practice of taking care of their respective relatives, kins, neighbors, or kailyan in distress will work to sustain the need of the people during hard times or economic crisis. 

He also assures that no family shall go hungry in the municipality should the crisis extend longer. 

"Should this crisis extend longer to the extent that our needy families really run out of their rice supplies, we shall mandate the kadangyans of every barangay to open up their rice granaries (agamangs) to sustain us through to the next harvest season," Ganggangan said.

On Monday (March 30, 2020), Mayor Ganggangan informed the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) that some relief food packs sent by the DSWD region are now available at the PDRRM office in Bontoc for lgu's that might be requesting.

He also instructed the MSWDO to relay their message that even if the lockdown will be extended, their municipality will not be availing of these food packs.

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