In 1992, the usual town fiesta celebration in Irosin has
been redirected to generate local participation in achieving
sustained efforts in community development and environmental
management. Dubbed as the Irosin Inter-Barangay Environmental
Development Program (IIEDP), the program used creative strategies
to conduct environmental education, value formation, community
mobilization and multi-sectoral cooperation at the barangay
and municipal levels.
A multi-sectoral steering committee was chaired by
the mayor and composed of the Liga ng mga Barangay presidents
and representatives of people’s organizations, non-government
organizations, and cooperatives. Irosin’s 40,000 residents
in 28 barangays were the main implementors of the program
in coordination with their respective barangay development
councils. The Malaya Ka, a women’s organization, acted
as the secretariat while other participating groups contributed
in cash or in kind.
From previously disorderly barangays, general cleanliness
and beautification was achieved as evidenced by uniform,
creative and indigenous residential fencing, roadside trees,
neat surroundings, and an increase of households with toilets.
The program formed 23 Barangay Tripartite Partnership for
Upland Development (TRIPUD) and federated at the municipal
level. Community gardens using idle lands and collectively
tilled provided additional income to the communities. The
development of communal herbal gardens in each barangay
led to the establishment of the Irosin Center for Traditional
Medicine. A multi-sectoral group effectively curbed illegal
tree-cutting and organized regular tree-planting and maintenance
activities especially in the watershed areas. Herbal gardens
established in each barangay became major sources of medicinal
plants for the use of respective communities. Several cooperatives
undertook social reforestation projects under the supervision
of a non-governmental organization. Three barangay reading
centers were established. Numerous health, sanitation and
beautification drives and inter-barangay visits were conducted.
These activities culminated annually during the town fiesta
celebration in September when awarding ceremonies for outstanding
barangays were held.
Because of the program, the day-to-day business of
ecological preservation and development, traditionally viewed
as a central government problem, became a municipal-wide
concern of the various sectors. Overcoming apathy and factionalism,
the program elicited the residents’ drive for excellence,
spirit of cooperation (bayanihan) and healthy competition,
culminating in the annual town fiesta celebration.
