BOLINEY, Abra – For over four decades, Rebecca Baylon dedicated herself to her family. A mother of six in the Cordillera highlands, she raised her children through hard work and perseverance, and saw each of them graduate from college. But even after those milestones, she felt that she can do more for the community she had always called home.
In 2022, that calling found a path. When the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) arrived in Boliney, Abra. What followed changed her life. She learned participatory planning, community fund management, and the power of collective decision-making.
“KALAHI-CIDSS transformed me from ‘just a housewife’ into a confident and transformative leader,” she said, sharing how the program equipped her with practical knowledge through a series of trainings on procurement, pre-implementation processes, community finance, audit and inventory, grievance redress, operations and maintenance, and the municipal fiduciary workshop. Through these learning opportunities, Rebecca gained the skills and confidence needed to take on greater responsibilities in community development and decision-making.
Her growth came with challenges. In an indigenous community where leadership had long been dominated by men, Rebecca had to earn trust through consistent results. She showed up prepared, followed through on every commitment, and let her work speak for itself. Over time, skepticism gave way to respect. Today, she serves as Barangay Captain of Amti, Boliney, Abra, a role in which she leads assemblies, coordinates development goals, and oversees local infrastructure projects.
Among her proudest achievements is the completion of the Labawan Cable Suspension Bridge, a PhP2 million subproject built through collective community effort. Completed in 2025, the bridge now benefits 330 households, all belonging to Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities. What was once a risky wooden footbridge has been replaced by a safe and durable crossing that children, residents, and even motorcycles can now use with confidence. Today, the bridge stands as a symbol of what a community can accomplish when people come together and take part in development.
Rebecca also mentors a growing group of women volunteers who now lead their own sub-projects and report to the community with confidence. “Leadership is not about being at the top, it is about making sure that when you are gone, the work continues,” she shared.
This Women’s Month, Rebecca draws a line between today’s Filipina leaders and the Babaylans of pre-colonial history, women who held authority because their communities recognized their wisdom. She believes that legacy is not lost, only waiting to be reclaimed.
“To all young girls and mothers: do not let anyone tell you that you are just a girl. You have the power to lead, to decide, and to build a better future for everyone,” she said.
Her story is a testament to what public service, community participation, and the KALAHI-CIDSS program can make possible, not just in infrastructure, but in the lives of the people who build it. #DSWD-CAR, KALAHI-CIDSS RPMO, Yvonne Gracious T. Elegado, Project Development Officer III
