We Can Do It Candoni

Candoni is a fourth class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. Located for about 137.7 km south-southwest of the provincial capital, Bacolod City. It is approximately four hour drive from Bacolod City aboard a public utility vehicle and about two hours and 45 minutes on a private car. From Bacolod City, buses are available at Bacolod South Terminal. From Kabankalan City,

one can take the public utility jeepneys or buses going to this town. Candoni is the third town with highest elevation in Negros Occidental after Salvador Benedicto and San Carlos City. Candoni is politically subdivided into 9 barangays (Agboy, Banga, Cabia-an, Caningay, Haba, Gatuslao, Payauan, Poblacion East and Poblacion West). Seven of these barangays were in upland location and rural in classification and the two were in poblacion center. Historically, Candoni was derived from the native phrase Kan Dune which means belonging to Dune, a legendary beautiful maiden named Dionesia who committed su***de after being forced by her parents to marry a man she did not love. Formerly a barrio of the Municipality of Cauayan, Candoni started as the center of the Tabla Valley Settlement founded in 1935 by Santiago H. Diego, a prominent man from the Municipality of Isabela. He led a group of settlers with a pioneering spirit and prompted by the desire to have a piece of land they could call their own. Pooling their resources and organizing themselves into a cooperative they called Tablenos, the settlers started clearing the valley starting from where the town is now located. They toiled the forests enduring hardships, but many of them died of malaria. Their efforts were noticed by the Provincial Government who supported them, starting with Gov. Valenciano Gatuslao, who along with then Speaker Gil Montilla, helped them appeal to President Manuel Roxas in Malacanang for tangible government aid, which came in the form of the road from Dancalan, Ilog to Candoni, following the trail blazed by the Tablenos. Candoni was finally declared a municipality on August 22, 1958 through Executive Order No. 314 signed by President Carlos P. It was inaugurated on August 12, 1961, with Benjamin R. Nava as its first acting mayor. Recent history of Candoni again showed its people’s struggle, this time, against the turmoils brought about by the insurgency problem. Fed up with being caught in the crossfire of battles between rebels and government forces, the people of Sitio Cantomanyog in Brgy. Haba of the town declared their area as a “Zone of Peace”, the first in the country ever to be declared as such by the residents composed of some 40 families, and this policy is respected by both rebels and government troops. Last 2009, the national government collaborated and implemented with the LGU in poverty reduction campaign within the province through the national project “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” under the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Implementation of the program started within that year covering Set 3 beneficiaries from Brgy. Caningay, Haba, Payauan, Poblacion East and West. Subsequently, as the program continue to expand nationwide, the LGU were included in Sets 4, 5, 6 and 7 making all the barangays covered and received the conditional cash transfer aid. Started by one field worker assigned by the DSWD-FO VI before, currently the municipal operations office were manned by two Municipal Links, one Social Welfare Assistant, one Municipal Roving Bookkeeper and two LGU-Link as counterparts. With the concurrent full support, active collaboration and participation of the LGU to the program under the spearhead of Hon. Borromeo and Miss Jessica T. Pavillar of OMSWDO, the currently 1,266 beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program will eventually break from the intergenerational cycle of poverty by investing their children with proper education, good health, adequate nutrition and affective values formation and family development. Strong commitment from active partners, stakeholders and Civil Society Organizations in the Candoni strengthen the program’s thrusts, services and related activities which added to the efficiency and impact of the every Candonians to achieve self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and empowerment for strong nation building. Labanan ang Kahirapan! Kaya ng Pinoy tumawid sa kaularan! We can do it CANDONI!