Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Caraga Region
Schools Division of Surigao Del Norte
ALEGRIA STAND ALONE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Brgy. Ouano, Alegria, Surigao Del Norte
S.Y. 2022-2023

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Case Study: BARANGAY

QUEZON COMMUNITY
MAINIT, SURIGAO DEL NORTE

LORA CORINNE T. ACERO

LOUELLA CLARISSE E. BULAN
REYNETH DIANNE O. EBUENGA

MRS. CHERRY MAE M. RANAY

Community Engagement Adviser:
Introduction

That Municipality of Mainit is a 4 th class municipality in the province of Surigao del Norte
located at the north shore of the 4 th largest lake in the Philippines, the Lake Mainit in the north-
eastern part of Mindanao. Mainit got its name from the hot sulfuric spring which flows to the river
the “Mapaso Hot Spring”. Mapaso and Mainit literally mean “hot”. According to the 2020 census, it
has a population of 28,019 people.

Mainit is subdivided into 21 barangays, and is headed by the Municipal Mayor, Hon.
Crisanta O. Mondano. The town has won multiple of awards inside and outside the province such
as Search for Regional Outstanding Solid Waste Management Practices.

Aside from its winning precedented activities, it is a home of diversities. It encompasses the
myriad of nature’s gifts of abundance. It has the lake that serves the people with abundance of
native fishes such as pidjanga, tilapia, kasili and hayuan. The whole 131.9 square kilometre
territorial area of the municipality is bordered by the mountain ranges that are connected to other
municipalities (Provincial Profile-Surigao del Norte, 2015). On its north, it is fenced by
municipalities of Sison and Placer. By the south is by Alegria and the connecting municipalities
along the province of Agusan del Norte. On its east, municipalities of Tubod and Bacuag surround.
Finally on its west is by the municipality of Malimono. These mountainous regions have supplied
the means of living to the people living at the foot of it through coconut plantations and other forms
of vegetation. The land is truly fertile and composed of mainly clay loam, sandy clay loam and silt
loam (Jadap et al., 2015). Furthermore, such land is occupied by flat and wide array of rice field
that could sustain crops and grains.

It is composed of variety of people; the native Mainitnons and Mamanwas, and immigrants
who were married to Mainitnons. Along the said population, Mainit is an open town where the view
on sex and gender is not often an issue. It also exercises the freedom of religion and belief
systems for it allows the rise of multiple churches in the town, such that, people may freely choose
and practice their belief.

The case study situated particularly at Baragay Quezon, the poblacion of Mainit, Surigao
del Norte. The purpose of such study is to explore the community built in the barangay of Quezon
such as its demographic profile, and physical, organizational, and production elements. This paper
will include the following: Community Structure, Structure, Dynamics and the performed Functions
of Barangay Quezon. Moreover, the study will focus on how the community sustained all though
out these years.
Overview of the Situation

One of the barangays in Mainit, Surigao del Norte is chosen in this study to focus on and to
narrow down the focus of the study.

Barangay Quezon is the former poblacion of the town of Mainit. It headed by the Barangay
Captain, Hon. Vicky S. Faminal. It is the center of commerce and trading, and the heart of the
political and social activities in the town.

It is composed of diversity within the community. It is the homeland of 3,791 people

according to 2020 Census. These people vary from each other as to the area they chose to reside
at within the barangay, their cultural and family background, age, and their perceptions toward
sexual orientation.

Quezon as the center of commerce and trading, it holds the most prestigious landmarks,
known infrastructure, and huge business center. Herein also lies the marketplace that caters and
supplies the people coming from the distant places of the town.

As the heart of political and social activities, barangay Quezon is quite the immediate
implementer of the rules and regulations imposed by the Municipal Mayor and the Sangguniang
Bayan since it is one of the two adjacent barangays from the Municipal Hall. At this community, it
holds the municipal park where it could cater big events such as the palaro and the main events
during the town fiesta. Near to the municipal park is the Kasili Lakeside Resort and Hotel where
conventions and other events are held. Next to it is the boulevard in Mainit, the lakeshore, where it
attracts the people to visit because of its spectacular view of the sunset that is reflected upon the
enormous body of water, the Lake Mainit. It also has food stalls that cater visitors with food as they
stroll down.

On the other hand, aside from all the fortunes and positive outcomes in Barangay Quezon,
this community is also threatened by the risk during disasters. It has low-lying areas that during
drench of rain and typhoons, they are the immediate to suffer and face the wind and rising of
water.

A particular part of this community is the focus of this study where up until now, they are
still in the evacuation area because their area is not yet suitable for them to live at. It is the
community called “Bliss”, the low-lying area in Purok Rosal.

This study consists of the community structure of Barangay Quezon, narrowing down to the
functions that the barangay ought to have achieved and been actively implemented, and finally,
focusing to the people of “Bliss” and their current situation.
Analysis

Community Structure

Location

Barangay Quezon is situated at the south of the heart of the town, at the north shore of the
Lake Mainit. According to PhilAtlas (2023), it is located at approximately 9.5370, 125.5227, in the
island of Mindanao. The elevation at these coordinates is estimated at 46.1 meters or 151.2 feet
above mean sea level (Quezon, Mainit, Surigao Del Norte Profile – PhilAtlas, 2023).

Population

The 2020 Census of the Philippine Statistics Authority has unveiled the present population
of Barangay Quezon. The household population was 3,791 which represented the 13.53% of the
town’s total population.

According to the 2015 Census, the age group with the highest population in Barangay
Quezon was 10 to 14, with 464 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population
was 75 to 79, with 38 individuals.

Based on the data provided by PhilAtlas (2023), when the age groups are combined
together, those aged 14 and below, consisting of the young dependent population which include
infants/babies, children and young adolescents/teenagers, make up an aggregate of 34.41%
(1,288). Those aged 15 up to 64, roughly, the economically active population and actual or
potential members of the work force, constitute a total of 59.36% (2,222). Finally, old dependent
population consisting of the senior citizens, those aged 65 and over, total 6.22% (233) in all.

The computed Age Dependency Ratios mean that among the population of Quezon, there
are 58 youth dependents to every 100 of the working age population; there are 10 aged/senior
citizens to every 100 of the working population; and overall, there are 68 dependents (young and
old-age) to every 100 of the working population.

Therefore, the median age of 24 indicates that half of the entire population of Quezon are
aged less than 24 and the other half are over the age of 24. (Quezon, Mainit, Surigao Del Norte
Profile – PhilAtlas, 2023)
Physical Characteristics of the Community

This part of the study consists of the Physical Characteristics of Barangay Quezon.

Geographical Features

The geographical features of a community consist of its landforms, bodies of water,

landmarks which may consist of the types of soil and vegetation inclusive in the community. These
will are included in this area of the study.

1. Landforms

The community is at the heart of the town. It is situated at an ideal residential area which is flat
and habitable. It is bordered by Barangay Magsaysay on the North, by Lake Mainit on the South,
the Mainit Private Cemetery and Barangay San Isidro on the West, and Barangay Mabini on the
East.

The land is utilized according to its purpose. The types of soil present in this area are mainly
clay loam, sandy clay loam and silt loam. Thus, the inhabitants of the said barangay could grow
different vegetation varying from vegetables such as pechay and moringa, and fruits such as
tomato and eggplant. Most residential houses have gardens consist the varying vegetation. It could
be on the ground garden or hanging, depends upon the space area.

The residential area is constituted by private owners and public land. As to the residential area
of the barangay, there are seven (7) semi-subdivisions called purok which was established to
control the population of the barangay. The public land of barangay Quezon is a government
owned land and is intended for the people who have not owned a land yet. These are pit of land
which could be divided for the people to use, live on, and cultivate. Public lands could be at any
place of the barangay as longs as it is owned by the government but bigger public lands are
located at Purok Rosal, Purok Lotus, and Purok Gumamela.

2. Bodies of Water

The barangay is bordered by bodies of water. The Lake Mainit on its south is the fourth largest
lake in the country having a surface area of 173.40 square kilometres. It is also the deepest lake in
the country having maximum depth reaching 223 meters (732 ft).

The lake is classified as an Oligotrophic Freshwater Lake, lake consisting oligotroph organisms
livin in environmenets with very low nutrients.

On the other hand, the lake could grow multiple trees such as Mangrove, Narra, Magcono,
Philippine Rosewood, Kamagong, Eucalyptus and Molave trees. It also grows flowering plants like
Fire orchid and Indian Lotus.
 This lake consists of 28 creeks and rivers which one among of these is a deposit passing by
Brgy. Quezon. It is situated in between Purok Rosal and Purok Gumamela.

These bodies of water that encloses the community have served the barangay a means of
living. Through fishing, the inhabitants most particularly those who are living near the lakeshore
could sell their catch to the market or vend it in a motorcycle called “Panglabas”. Most fish vendors
who owned motorcycles choose manglabas rather than plainly selling their fishes in the market.
Another term coined for their way of selling is “Makris”, referring to the motorcycle that has a
speaker built on it announcing their products. Many choose makris because it will reach even the
farthest areas where people wanted to buy fish in the market but could not easily reach the town
because of the distance. Thus, the makris will reach them instead.

On the other hand, hollow block makers in Barangay Quezon are rising also because of its
rich coarse sand from the river deposit. Hence, many teenagers have stopped going to school and
start doing labor in making hollow blocks and carrying sand from the river.

In the simplest and hardest ways, Lake Mainit and its deposits helped the Mainitnons in
financially and economically. It is the beauty that Mainitnons truly treasured.

3. Landmarks

It is the center of commerce and businesses. It holds the landmarks of the town such as the
Kasili Lakeside Resort and Hotel, Boulevard of Mainit, the wet marketplace, and other shops and
store at the business area. These landmarks have opened doors for trading of goods and services
within the municipality. Thus, comprises the alleviation of the municipality’s class from 6 th rank in
1995 to 4th rank in 2008 until today garnering P25 million or more but less than P35 million based
on Department Order No. 23-08 on July 2008.

Although the barangay still belongs to the standard of a rural area but it consists of stores
and shops that could alleviate the urbanity of the area compared to other barangays of the
municipality. There are restaurants and snack bars. Rural banks and cooperatives are also
situated inside. Water stations, money transaction like Palawan Pawnshop, and big commercial
stores have also compose the structure of the barangay.

There are schools situated inside the barangay. An elementary school which is named after
its barangay, Quezon Elementary School, is situated beside the Mainit Public Market. It is headed
by Dr. Alvin Buniel. The national high school, Mainit National High School, is located by the
southeast of the barangay and is at northern lake shore. It is headed by Mrs. Gregoria E. Villamor.
There is also a barangay Day Care Center situated at the Municipal Park at shared Purok Rosal,
Purok Alpha and Purok Lotus, beside the Kasili Lakeside Resort and Hotel. There are also two
private schools in this barangay. The first private school to mention is San Nicolas Academy, a
Catholic school, offering of a high school and primary education. The other school is the Lourdes
Learning Center (LLC) which offers primary and elementary education.

Religious infrastructures are also considered as landmarks of this community. It has a

multiple religions occurring which contributes to the physical built-up of the community. Enormous
infrastructures in the barangay are the Catholic Church and the pastoral beside it. The constituents
are other religious sectors such as Seventh Day Adventist, Bible Baptist, Ang Dating Daan, and
Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Abiotic Factors

Abiotic factors refer to the non-living parts of an ecosystem. In a terrestrial ecosystem like
in barangay Quezon, the temperature, weather, wind speed and water are considered and will be
discussed. We are using the Zoom Earth, OpenStreetMap as basis of these data.

1. Temperature – The photo below shows the temperature at Mainit, Surigao del Norte. It is
depicted that as of 8:00 AM on March 3 rd, 2023, the temperature has regulated is 25
degrees Celsius.

Figure 1. Zoom Earth showing the temperature in Mainit, Surigao del Norte.

2. Weather – As of March 3rd, 2023, there is no predicted cyclones or low pressure in the said
area up until March 5th, 2023. It falls under the classification of partly cloudy having

Figure 2. Google Weather showing the Figure 3. Zoom Earth showing the clear
weather in Mainit, Surigao del Norte. weather in Mainit, Surigao del Norte.
 3. Wind Speed (Humidity) – Humidity is the measurement of the amount of water vapour in
the atmosphere. Thus as depicted in the photo below, the humidity therein in the Mainit,
Surigao del Norte is 85%.

Figure 4. Zoom Earth showing the humidity in Mainit,

Surigao del Norte.

The community built in Barangay Quezon is composed of different elements. The landforms
and bodies of water have shaped the way people live. They went dependent from fishing, to fish
vending, farming, and other forms of labor and employment offered in the area. The abiotic factors
also contributed to the style and ways that Mainitnons perceive their place. These elements are
depicted to the rising population in the said community. Therefore, all of these factors ranging from
geographical and abiotic factors all have contributed meaningfully to the building of barangay
Quezon community structure.
 Functions of Community Process, Structure, and Dynamics

This part of the study contains the functions of Community Process, Structure and
Dynamics that Barangay Quezon have achieved and been actively implemented.

1. Social Participation

Mainit is well-known for its lively and festive social events. Eventually, the members
of barangay Quezon are one of immediate and active participants of these events. During
the town fiesta, barangay Quezon participates in almost all the competitions from dancing
to singing and others.
Aside from its participation in municipal events, it also has implemented activities
that gather the people in the community. There are barangay assemblies held every end of
the semester at the barangay hall.
The assemblies are presided by the Barangay Caption, Hon. Vicky S. Faminal.
During these meetings, it shows the transparency of the barangay by showing the projects
implemented. It also reveals the budget allocated for the barangay and the purpose. As to
the previous budget, the officials ought to clearly reveal the visualization of their previous
plans and project as well as how they spent the budget efficiently.During these assemblies,
every household in the community should send a representative regardless of academic
and economic status.
It also has volunteering work from time to time in every purok where everyone in the
barangay should clean their territorial and frontal lawn, participate on the street cleaning,
and monthly free grass trimming.

In terms of freedom of ideologies as to religion, barangay Quezon is the home of

multiple churches. It situates the Catholic Church which depicts a landmark inside the
community. Moreover, other religious sectors such as Seventh Day Adventist, Bible Baptist,
Ang Dating Daan, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other small groups lie inside the barangay
where it shows that the community is a center of religion as it allows diversity and variation
of faith inside it.

2. Social Control

The barangay has its own rules and ordinances separated from municipal issued
ordinances to monitor its people. It has strict curfew hours starting 9 PM to monitor the
teens inside the community.

It also has a regular garbage collection schedule every Wednesday afternoon where
people will just place their segregated garbage in front of their houses or better at the
 Material Recovery Facility (MRF) placed at every purok then it will be picked up by the
truck. Note that only plastic and bottles are collected, therefore, every household is
obligated to place compost pit or baskets to manage the biodegradable wastes.

Furthermore, during volunteering work, the failure to participate on the street

cleaning will be charged P100.00 pesos because it is our obligation to participate in
cleaning and beautifying our own area for we live on it.

3. Socialization
Barangay Quezon is built under the category of a Gemeinschaft community where
the people here practice social interaction in most of the time. They communicate each
other as to the concept of a particular rural neighbourhood.
There are norms and culture that are established inside the community such as
greeting someone on the street. A simple greeting of “Maayong hapon”, or “Saylo” when we
pass by the old and native Mainitnons means a lot to them.
During disasters and calamities, the people in the community help each other in
different ways. They allow their neighbour to take refuge on their house especially those
who are coming from the low-lying areas during typhoon and heavy rainfall.

4. Preparedness and Protection

In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, barangay Quezon had a budget allocated for
the survival of its people by providing them relief goods consisting of rice and dry goods
during strict lockdowns.

As the health protocols thinned down, there was still strict wearing of mask to avoid
catching the said virus. It did help regulate the cases of COVID-19 in the community.

When there were people coming from different places especially from other
countries, their isolation area was active and accommodating. By these strict ways of
imposing COVID-19 health protocols in the community, barangay Quezon maintained the
low cases until today.

On the other hand, during disasters that could not be predicted, barangay Quezon
has its active members to help them manage and respond the needed action. There are
Barangay Tanod who are responsible in evacuating people from low-lying areas during
flood and rain. They serve as the Quick Response Team. There are also rescue boats
placed in the barangay hall just in case there is in need for it to use.
 There are also evacuation areas for the people to take refuge such as Quezon
Elementary School and Municipal Multi-Purpose Gym where in fact, as of today, many
people are still in these facilities because the water in their area has not yet drained.

Figure 5. Photos of the current situation in low-lying areas of Barangay Quezon

5. Economic
As to the distribution of goods and services, barangay Quezon is considered as
developed compare to the barangays of Mainit. Instead, it serves as outlets where the
people rely on their basic needs because it has stores that sell almost every basic
commodity. It is an advantage of living in the town proper because you will have that
access to the basic needs at times that we need any of it.
In terms of transportation as a close to being a developed community, there are still
rough roads in areas that are rarely passed by cars like in the low-lying area of Bliss but it is
still accessible by motorcycles and bicycles that could still connects toward trade and
commerce. But almost all the streets in the community are cemented and are accessible to
trade and commerce therein the community.
The barangay Quezon do provide a means of living to the people living in it
especially in fishing and agriculture. The barangay supports the Makris community by
allowing them to continue their means of living and providing them business permits to
credit it as a legal mean.
They also provide free seeds and seedlings coming from Department of Agriculture
for the people to plant and grow. Hence, could help them survive by vegetation.
Furthermore, the barangay hires ordinary people to work in the barangay and serve
its fellow members as Barangay Health Workers, Lupon ng Barangay, Barangay Tanod,
and utility workers. These people have gone through trainings and seminars to help them
work efficiently according to their role.
6. Health-Care

Health care of the members is one of the assets that a community should protect and
promote. A healthy member of a community means a healthy community. It is one of the
major aspects that barangay Quezon ought to achieve.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health protocols were strictly imposed to protect the health
of the community by avoiding the spread of the virus. The BHWs encourage everyone in
the barangay to take their vaccine to help promote and protect themselves and others from
the threat of an unseen enemy. By that, many people including children have taken second
doses of vaccines. Some even have taken their booster shots.

As to the present situation, the barangay-based Department of Health has now its own
building beside the barangay hall. In this new facility, the barangay nurse and BHWs will
have their own room for monthly immunization of children as well as free check-up of blood
pressure and sugar. In some areas, they do a reach-out activity but since there is a
designated nurse in the barangay, there are schedules for these free check-up in the
barangay hall.
Conclusion and Recommendation

In conclusion, the community there is in barangay Quezon is a Gemeinschaft community

where the people are not difficult to gather and rules and ordinances can smoothly be applied. All
of these six (6) functions are actively achieved by the barangay Quezon in alignment to its
community structure. The people here are cooperative and approachable; hence, they are not very
difficult to gather during activities that requires social participation. They also follow rules and
ordinances in the community that promotes peace and order as well as guidelines during
calamities and health-care promotion. In accordance to the geographical location of the
community, it is expected that disasters are inevitable but they fatalities are prevented due to the
cooperation of the people in the community and the supervision of government officials.

We, the researchers, are grateful to the accommodation of the people we have interviewed
that have helped us in understanding the current situation of our barangay. We were able to
identify the hazards in the area and the action plans that the beneficiaries ought to have benefitted.
We also have classified the type of community barangay Quezon is by its people. The
recommendations we have are the following:

1. Barangay Officials. The physical structure of the community is organized and the roads
are accessible but the roads in low-lying areas as well as their situation were not yet
mitigated. We recommend to alleviate this problem so that the people living there will no
longer suffer this far.
2. Barangay Health Workers. We recommend imposing activities that promotes good and
proper hygiene especially for mothers in people living in the evacuation areas as of today.
References

Jadap, J. M. S., Santillan, M. M., & Santillan, J. R. (2015). GEOSPATIAL CHARACTERIZATION

OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS AFFECTED AREAS IN MAINIT, SURIGAO DEL NORTE. Caraga
State University.

1995 Provincial Profile - Surigao Del Norte (2015)

https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/1995%20Provincial%20Profile%20%20Surigao%20Del
%20Norte.pdf

Quezon, Mainit, Surigao del Norte Profile – PhilAtlas. (2023). Retrieved 5 March 2023, from
https://www.philatlas.com/mindanao/caraga/surigao-del
norte/mainit/quezon.html#sectionLocation

Zoom Earth-Live Weather map, Storm Tracker, and Radar (2023)

https://zoom.earth/maps/wind-speed/#view=11.8,122.9,5z/model=icon/overlays=crosshair
Documentation

Economics – Means of living

Situation in Bliss, Purok Rosal, Barangay Quezon, Mianit, SDN

Interviews
Activities in Barangay Quezon – Liga for the upcoming Foundation day