An isolated community with practically no access to government services and known to be a New People’s Army (NPA) territory was discovered by the 60th Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP). Reachable only through a helicopter, the Village of Tapayanon, a far-away highland found within the tri-boundaries of Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur and Davao del Norte and a home of Ata Manuvu who were ‘introduced’ to a government run by the NPAs, was discovered last year when troopers of the 60th Infantry Battalion were in pursuit of armed members of NPA. Having noted of the dire need for services among residents of the Village, the 60th IB interagency delivery of various government services.
One Heart For Hope joined in planning to reach out to Tapayanon. Dubbed as Sitio Tapayanon Whole-of-Nation Service Convergence Camp, the 5-day multi-agency service delivery generated the participation of civil sector organizations particularly One Heart for Hope, Quota International, Rotary Club of Tagum and Jaycees International (JCI) of Davao. We never thought that in this day and age, we still have a community that exist that the government has not discovered yet.