The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 7 organized 2,849 individuals in the province to construct small farm reservoirs in upland areas in the province.
This is in line with DSWD-7’s implementation of Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) at BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished).
Robie Kate Velez, DSWD-7 project development officer, said these individuals, who they call as “partner-beneficiaries,” are residents of selected barangays in Ayungon, Pamplona, Tayasan, Jimalalud, Sta. Catalina, and Mabinay towns, which have been identified as pilot areas for this program.
Implemented under DSWD’s disaster response and rehabilitation program, Velez said the project aims to ensure water sufficiency, food security, and continuous livelihood for the poor who are vulnerable to the ill effects of climate change.
“Kini ang focus karon sa program: enough ang pagkaon sa atong partner-beneficiaries in times of disasters especially karon na na-experience nato from March to May ang El Niño Phenomenon. Because uga ang atoang kayutaan, maglisod na og tanom ang atong partner-beneficiaries especially sa atong kabukiran,” Velez said. (“The program aims to ensure enough food supply for our partner-beneficiaries in times of disasters, especially this time when we experienced El Niño phenomenon from March to May. Since the land is dry, our farmers, especially those in the hinterlands, find it hard to plant their crops.”)
Target partner-beneficiaries are farmers, fisherfolks, and members of indigenous peoples’ groups.
Velez said DSWD-7 will engage with them in a series of learning and development sessions and community work for 20 days.
They will be paid the prescribed daily minimum wage rate of P468 in Central Visayas.
This is consistent with the two modes of implementation of Project LAWA at BINHI which involves “cash for training” and “cash for work” schemes.
The learning and development sessions will focus on informing DSWD partner-beneficiaries on the cause of climate change and teaching them the concept of disaster mitigation.
After this, partner-beneficiaries will work together in building small farm reservoirs or rehabilitating existing ones, whichever is applicable in their area.
The small farm reservoirs are designed to collect rainwater during rainy days which can be used as a water source in irrigating nearby farms.
Aside from this, partner-beneficiaries will also be planting crops in a communal garden near the small farm reservoirs.
Velez said DSWD-7 promotes planting of disaster-resilient crops to ensure survivability amid the changing climate.
Once their crops mature, the partner-beneficiaries will have enough food supply to feed their families and enough crops to sell to the market.
DSWD-7 will also capacitate them on financial management and farm management and sustainability before turning over to them the supervision of the small farm reservoir and community garden.
Velez said the roll out of Project LAWA at BINHI are in various stages in Negros Oriental.
“Sa Ayungon padulong pa mag-start. Sa Jimalalud ongoing ang cash for training. Sa Tayasan hapit na mag-end. Sa Pamplona and Sta. Catalina – ongoing sa ang cash for work,” Velez said. (“The project has yet to start in Ayungon, while cash for training is ongoing in Jimalalud. Meanwhile, the project is about to end in Tayasan while cash for work is ongoing in Pamplona and Sta. Catalina.”)
The project sites are in upland areas of the said towns where there is scarcity of water.
There are six sites each in the towns of Tayasan, Pamplona, Jimalalud, while the municipality of Sta. Catalina has 14.
These municipalities were chosen as pilot areas for Project LAWA at BINHI in Negros Oriental as they earlier declared a state of calamity due to El Niño phenomenon.
Velez said the Department of Labor and Employment also provides a counterpart through its Tulong Panghanapbuhay Sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program. | NWI
