01/09/2022
Update: Bridging Dreams
There are many factors that contribute to the growth of an economy, one of which is infrastructure development. In this ever-changing time, investment in roads, transportation, and telecommunication systems are considered the building blocks of the economy. Infrastructure projects can empower trade and business, create opportunities, and connect communities.
Situated in the southwestern part of the Province of Iloilo, some communities in the Municipality of Leon still experience digital divide and communication gap given that these far-flung barangays have no access to internet and other telecommunication channels. Given the topographic location of some barangays, accessibility is also a challenge due to lack of road networks, and one of these barangays, is the old town, Barangay Camando.
Why is it that Camando seemed to have been left behind? Why is it that among the nearby barangays to the town proper, little progress is felt in the community? How can the old town and the people convert their long dream into reality?
Camando: The Old Town
Barangay Camando is not just one of the barangays in the Municipality of Leon, it holds great significance to the present town being the old seat of the municipal government. Camando is located in the south-central part of the municipality and is 3.4 kilometers away from Poblacion. The barangay has a total land area of 116.8184 hectares and topographically, it is mountainous and hilly where most of the area is agricultural.
Through history, people get to learn and appreciate how past society, system, government, and culture have worked and adapted with time. Every person and place is living and holding histories and this gives them the sense of identity which can potentially lead them to progress.
Camando being the old town of the municipality has great remnants of the past. Important cultural heritage can be found in the barangay such as the ruins of the belfry, the church, the municipal building, and the main bridge known as the “Taytay Tunay.”
In 1730, through the leadership of Bernabe Bunkag, the town called Camando got established. The annals tell that the past town plaza is only one-fourth of the present plaza and is about 20 meters bounded by road. The north of the town is the church skirted by the convent and the belfry. On the east is where the school building is situated, which is built in 1852. On the south is the river stream and the west part of the plaza is the main street which leads to Taytay Tunay.
About 155 years of the existence of Camando, no one ever thought of the town transfer, not until the time of a Spanish Friar where the matter got deliberated since his arrival in 1859. There are many contributing factors to the transfer such as the dangers imposed by the flood and the limited area that can hinder future expansion. As a result, the town transfer occurred from the first day of September in 1865.
History tells that the transfer of the town happened by force. There had been an order to destroy the town of Camando upon the completion of the preparation of the new town, which is Leon today.
Camando: Towards Progress
For 157 years since the historic town transfer, Camando seemed to be left behind and little progress is felt by the community and its people. The road leading to the barangay is paved by gravel and from the national highway is the need to cross the Sibalom River. Being the seat of the old municipal government, Camando and its people have long dreams for improvement in their community.
On January 28, 2022, the ground-breaking ceremony of the construction of Camando footbridge marked the conversion of the vision of every Leonian into reality. For the people of the said barangay, it is like giving back to the old town after the many years of the transfer.
With a budget of 4.9-million, the 80-meter hanging footbridge is already within the grasp of the people. This is made possible with the joint effort of Barangay Camando along the other five barangays namely Awis, Paoy, Gumboc, Bulad, and Capt. Fernando. This is also made through the assistance provided by the Local Government Unit and the support of the Provincial Government.
The project is the key in connecting the old town to the present town, as well as, bridging the dreams and aspirations of Leonians by having the project realized. Further infrastructure projects are to be implemented in the barangay such as the finishing structures of the health center, and the multi-purpose gym, and the concreting of road networks.
Camando: Into a Realized Dream
A dream remains a dream until it is realized and put into construction. The current construction of the footbridge is just one of the many things that the people of Camando had envisioned and is now turning into reality. A project that is a dream come true to the people of Camando and its neighbouring barangays.
Apart from the future infrastructure developments already lined up in the barangay, there is also the vision of developing the old town into heritage tourism. Camando in history had seen the times of grief and times of triumph and had key persons and key places.
Hence, the importance of the integration of planning and cultural mapping of the ruins of the belfry, church, municipal hall, and Taytay Tunay for inclusive and sustainable development of cultural and natural heritage. With this, the tourism office is working on its plans and conservation measures along with cultural mapping.
This project involves the National Cultural Agencies, cultural property and land owners, the LGU, CSO/NGO, private sector and individual, and the community which can also promote people’s participation that is essential in the development of the municipality. These further developments can respond to the need of the community, contribute to the growth of the economy and bring people closer to prosperity.
By: Herchelle Anne Cabarga
February 16, 2022
via Mayor Malin Cabana Holipas fb
