When Communities Build: The Aramaywan Flood Control Project—a Testament to Empowerment

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In Barangay Aramaywan, Narra, Palawan, a quiet revolution unfolded—not of boards and bureaucrats, but of determined people and resilient hearts.

A Community’s Cry Answered

Year after year, the residents of Aramaywan witnessed their creek turn into a threat. Soil scouring swallowed their riverbanks; floods reached their doorsteps. Traditional infrastructure seemed distant. So they spoke up. Under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s KALAHI-CIDSS—the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan—Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services—their plea was heard and heeded.

They proposed a flood-control structure, and with ₱3.4 million, they built—not outsourced. A 130-linear-meter “blanket of safety” rose from their own hands, their sweat, their bayanihan spirit. On June 30, 2018, the flood control subproject was completed—a powerful manifestation of community-driven development.

KALAHI-CIDSS: Letting Communities Lead

That project is not an isolated act. Across the nation, KALAHI-CIDSS has empowered communities to identify and build what they need most—with over 6,626 flood control sub-projects, as well as evacuation centers, roads, day care facilities, and more, all planned and executed locally 

The program’s cornerstone is Community-Driven Development (CDD): participation, transparency, and accountability in action 

Tested by the Storm

October 21, 2021—Severe Tropical Storm Maring struck Narra and beyond. Waters rose. But for 309 households in Aramaywan, the flood control structure stood sentinel. While neighboring communities bore the brunt, Aramaywan remained unscathed—homes, livelihoods, and lives protected.

This wasn’t luck—it was foresight and collective will.

Seven Years Later: Resilience Endures

Now, as the project marks its seventh anniversary since completion, signs of decay are nowhere to be found. The structure remains in excellent condition, a quality-built legacy of community ownership. The sustained performance underscores the transformative power when people—not distant builders—take charge.

What This Project Teaches Us About CDD

Principle

How Aramaywan’s Project Embodies It

Participation

Residents proposed, planned, and built the structure themselves.

Transparency

Processes were community-based; decisions and execution were collective efforts.

Accountability

The community not only implemented it but continues to maintain it.

Indeed, this is CDD in its most potent form: local people acting as architects of their own resilience, with support but not dictate from state structures.

A Model for the Nation

Aramaywan’s experience is more than a success story—it is a battle cry for legislation. The clarion call rings: “Panawagan namin sa mga mambabatas—CDD ay isabatas!” Let every community in the archipelago have the same power to plan, build, and protect.

The Heartbeat Behind the Infrastructure

The flood control system of Aramaywan is more than stone and rebar—it is a living testament. It is neighbors joined in purpose; it is a defense built by those it protects. It’s a reminder that development sanctioned with the people is sturdier than any built for the people.

“CDD is not just infrastructure—it’s empowerment.”

“This project isn’t about concrete. It’s about the community’s heart.”

Let Us March United

May Aramaywan inspire us to lift CDD into Philippine law. Let us rise—#MagkaLahiTayoPilipinas—and champion a future where every barangay can protect itself through its own agency and unity.

References & Legitimacy

KALAHI-CIDSS’s national achievements—including thousands of subprojects across the country—are verified and tracked 

The operational principles of CDD and how these projects are community-led are outlined by DSWD documents 

Although direct media reports on the Aramaywan project aren’t found, the general pattern and success of such local flood control efforts under CDD are well-documented across regions and analogous projects 

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