Most people would agree that money is commodity. People work to provide for the family. Some would bet in game of chance to win millions.  Also, would do anything to get fast cash, but there are also a few honest people who have a pure heart and returned big amount of cash without expecting something in return. Mrs. Jeany L. Nieves a former Kalahi-CIDSS Community Volunteer, and currently a Barangay Treasurer of Barangay Kandingan, Aloguinsan, Cebu is one of those few honest people.

Jeany, 37-year-old mother of two is a former Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee-Chairperson during the 1st cycle of implementation of DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS in their town. Her dedication and her skills in managing people, especially in being transparent in every transaction they made as a community volunteers of DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS, is the reason why the Barangay Local Government Unit appointed Jeany to be their Barangay Treasurer.

In the implementation of DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS, the barangay treasurer, who is the only one bonded in the community, is tasked to do bank transactions, disburse funds and process weekly payments for the laborers working for the sub-project in their barangay.

In one ordinary afternoon of July 3, 2018, Jeany went to the bank to encash for the salary of paid laborers for the barangay sub-project. After paying the laborers, she noticed that she still has a good amount of cash left. She thought that maybe the bank teller had released more than the amount of the check she encashed. She returned to the Bank in Toledo City and gave the money to the teller. “Giuli gyud nako ang money kay dili man to ako (I returned the money, because it is not mine to keep) shared Jeany, recalling the incident.

The bank manager and the teller did not notice the overpayment until Jeany came on that same afternoon informing the teller that she released an excess of Php 17,500.00.

The Kalahi-CIDSS community volunteers like Jeany were trained to be transparent and to really value the money’s worth and to diligently keep track of the resources and expenditures. This is what the program is all about, to mold people into good citizens and be advocates of change in the community.

“Sa training gitudluan mi nga ibatasan ang transparency, ug isip usa ka treasurer, kinahanglan nga matinud-anon ko sa trabaho kay ga involve man kini og kwarta (In Kalahi-CIDSS training we were taught to practice transparency, and as a treasurer, I have to be honest with my work because it involves money),” added Jeany when asked about her reason of doing things right. ###

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