by Sweet Edrote/ Samdhana

Indigenous communities often struggle to be included in national development plans, leading to a lack of resources and opportunities, including basic access to essential services. This is the case for the Menuvu tribe in Betangan Community in CADT 202, located in Brgy. Balaoro, Municipality of Kadingilan, Bukidnon. It is approximately 159km from the uptown part of Cagayan de Oro City or about two and a half hours drive. 

There are approximately 48 households in Betangan. Their water source comes from an underwater spring, but is located dangerously close to a road, posing risks to the community, especially to children. There is no distribution system direct into the houses, and there is no water source nearby their small farms. Many of them work as farm laborers, thus the extra effort to fetch water creates a burden for the women and children. 

On December 18, 2022, the Neumpong Ne Teregunay Ne Meginged Te Betangan (NMTB) was established through a community gathering in Betangan. The organization aims to support the people of Betangan in addressing their basic needs.

NMTB envisions a strong and resilient community deeply connected to its culture, livelihoods, youth, and women. Their aspirations are to establish a school to protect sacred rituals and develop sustainable livelihood opportunities. They aim to preserve and promote their cultural traditions, restore nature by conserving their medicinal herbs and trees, and pass on the knowledge of herbal medicine-making to future generations. They longed to have a water system in their community because this is really important for them to accomplish their goals. 

In 2023, the Betangan Community, led by their Punggos or community leader, Bae Loreta Dag-on, submitted a grant proposal to Samdhana Institute to secure access to clean water. Since it was our first time to enter into partnership, the Samdhana team started with a capacity development session on the Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act orIPRA (RA 8371). Emphasizing on the importance of their rights and self-determination, this became the frame and rationale as to why the community should continue to pursue improving their welfare through their own initiatives. The Betangan community also articulated their vision and mission for a more sustainable future, and developed a strategic plan to achieve this.

By June 2024, their proposal was approved. Inspired by their coming project, they came together to craft their community policies in relation to the project implementation and upkeep of the water system. They gathered their individual contributions so that they can self-fund the construction of  their tulugan or community hall. At first, they were able to raise Php 1,200.00 (approximately USD 21). Other members who could spare lumber and other materials donated these as well for the tulugan. The Memeriten, or women community members, took the lead in reaching out to neighboring Indigenous communities, inviting the Neumpung ne Memeritan ne Medkeveran te Menuvu Kirenteken-Ilentungen te CADT 206 (NMKI) which is the indigenous women’s organization in the neighboring ancestral domain to exchange ideas on improving community-driven projects. This collaboration inspired the Memeriten to strengthen the women's group and help them organize themselves. They started backyard gardens, where they planted vegetables and root crops to help sustain their families.

For the Betangan Community, gaining access to a water system was just the first step in their journey toward sustainability and resilience. As Bae Michelle Dag-on Onker, another woman leader, expressed, “Matagaan ang mga kababainhan (ug higayon) nga madungog ang among mga tingog kay kada babae o memeriten naay responsibilidad dinha sa iyang komunidad ug ilabi na sa pagpadayon sa kultura” (“To give women the opportunity to be heard, because each woman has a responsibility to her community, especially in keeping our culture.”)

After ten months of dedication and hard work, the Betangan Community celebrated the completion of their water system project on March 12, 2025, through a ceremony named Tepeney Te Wahig Betangan. The event took place in their newly built tulugan, a sacred gathering place initiated by the community—an emblem of unity and collective effort. 

This project provided clean water and strengthened their community’s collective initiatives, reinforcing their aspiration for self-determination, rights assertion and a self-sufficient future.