Three Pantawid Pamilya households from Sitio Botiwtiw, Brgy. Balili, La Trinidad, Benguet are now part of the first ever mountain community artwork in the Philippines.

Pantawid Pamilya partner beneficiaries Elisa Pacio, Joanne Manachil, and Juliet Banganan proudly shared their involvement in the initiative of Department of Tourism Cordillera Administrative Region (DOT-CAR). “Hindi kami nag-dalawang isip na sumali dito kasi alam namin na gaganda yung bahay namin. At gumanda nga ang mga bahay namin. Natutunan din namin sa FDS (Family Development Sesions) yung importansya ng cooperation and community participation.”, Manang Joanne shared.

These women are also members of the Botiwtiw Women’s Brigade and Botiwtiw Women’s Organization. “Noon naman active na kami sa community, pero noon naging Pantawid Pamilya kami, naging mas active pa kami. Sobra-sobra pa nga., Manang Joanne added laughing.

Their families were included in Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in 2011. “Maraming naitulong ang Pantawid [Pamilya] sa amin, lalo na sa pag-aaral ng mga bata. Kaya sana, maituloy-tuloy pa rin ito.” Manang Juliet shared.

STOBOSA Hillside Homes Artwork was a project of the DOT-CAR in partnership with Davies Paints Philippines, Inc., Chanum Foundation (Tam-awan Artists), Local Governments of Benguet and La Trinidad, Natioanl Institute for Information Technology and communities of sitios STonehill, BOtiwtiw, and SAdjap (STOBOSA) where the name was driven.

This giant artwork is one of the proofs that bayanihan is still alive in the communities of the Cordillera. It also aims to give a new push to the Province’s tourism.