Sadanga Mayor Uplifts Indigenous Practice of Helping by Humbly Refusing to Receive Relief

Mayor Gabino Ganggangan of Sadanga, Mt. Province released an official statement saying that their municipality will not be availing relief from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) even if the community quarantine gets extended.

Indigenous Practice Sustained in Sadanga

Mayor Gabino believes that their tribal community still has and is able to sustain the indigenous practice of taking care of each other during a crisis.

“ Its not that we don’t have poor and needy families but I believe that we as tribal communities still have and should sustain our “built in” and homegrown or indigenous social structure,values, and practice of taking care of our respective relatives or kins, neighbors , or kailyan in distress during hard times or economic crisis.”

An excerpt from Mayor Gabino’s statement on Facebook

Kadangyans will aid needy relatives

Ganggangan added that “kadangyans” or the rich among a clan are expected to help underprivileged relatives by lending their extra supply during a crisis such as food shortages.

“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.”

Mandate Kadangyans of every Barangays to Open their Agamangs

Mayor stated that if the crisis will extend and families who are are in need have no more supplies of rice, all kadangyans of every barangays are mandated to open their Agamangs or granaries. 

“We shall mandate the kadangyans of every barangay to open up their rice granaries (agamangs) to sustain us through to the next harvest season.”

And, he guaranteed that no one will be hungry during the crisis. 

Mayor Ganggangan ended his statement by encouraging everyone to protect their Municipality from COVID-19 by working together.

“Again I enjoin everyone to cooperate with our efforts to shield our municipality from this Covid 19.”

A Good Practice to Follow

When all members of the community decide to help one another, whatever adversity that may come their way, it can be easily overcome. The Municipality of Sadanga is a good example of how a community should have each other’s backs and take care of each other during a crisis. Being in a community like Sadanga who has a humble leader and members that are willing to help can give people assurance that nobody gets left behind during a crisis like this.

Full Statement of Mayor Gabino Ganggangan