PIAGAPO, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--The Community and Family Services International (CFSI) continues to support the livelihood of remote communities in Lanao del Sur affected by the impacts of armed conflict and the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic. 

Under its Marawi COVID Recovery Project (MCRP), CFSI turned over on Thursday, Sept. 22, community projects to four far-flung barangays here to support the livelihood activities of its residents

The community-based support to livelihood (CBSL) projects consisted of a multi-purpose center for Barangay Basak and tire paths for Barangays Bansayan, Kalungunan, and Tapucan, benefitting almost 3,000 residents.

Normia Ampuan, CFSI's community organizer for Piagapo, said 10 barangays were initially identified for the project and after undergoing assessment, the four barangays were selected as the top priority. 

The assessment, she said, was based on safety and security, the risk from displacement, community interest, access to government social services, COVID-19 situation, vulnerabilities, community-based project intervention, and population.

The handover ceremony held in Tapucan village was led by CFSI Executive Director Steven Muncy and witnessed by Piagapo Mayor Ali Sumandar and Johary Lumna of the Task Force Bangon Marawi Field Office.

Muncy said the mission of CFSI is "to protect and promote human security, specifically the lives, well-being, and dignity of people uprooted by armed conflict, disaster, or other exceptionally difficult circumstances."

"We have two goals - the first is to empower and equip uprooted people to address social and health problems and the second is to prevent people from being uprooted by promoting peace human rights and equitable distribution of resources," he said.

The CFSI executive director said they have chosen Lanao del Sur as one of their beneficiaries considering that the province has been excluded from some of the programs that allowed other communities to develop and enhance the quality of life of its residents. "Because of that, we felt that Lanao del Sur deserves some extra attention," he further said.

Funded by the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, MCRP aims to promote the protection, psychosocial, and economic recovery of at least 4,000 families or 20,000 individuals in Marawi City and six other municipalities in Lanao del Sur from armed conflict and the pandemic.

In August this year, CFSI handed over community infrastructure projects to the municipalities of Lumbayanague and Marantao. 

Fisherfolks of Barangay. Pitatanglan in Lumbayanague received fishing boats, fishing nets, and a hand pump while Marantao got a farm-to-market road for Barangay Inudaran Loway, level II water system for Barangay Punud Proper, a mobile thresher with buffalo for Barangay Palao-Ranaranao, and a multi-purpose community center for Barangay Matampay. (APB/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)