TACLOBAN CITY – Around 20 local government units in the region are now implementing Project LAWA at BINHI or Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished.
Project LAWA and BINHI, a risk resiliency program – climate change adaptation and mitigation (RRP-CCAM) initiative by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), aims to combat hunger and poverty while addressing climate-related challenges by engaging the community.
The LGUs participating in the program include Jipapad, Dolores, Oras, San Policarpo, and Maslog from Eastern Samar; Gamay, Lapinig, Catubig, Silvino Lobos, and Lope de Vega in Northern Samar; Silago, San Ricardo, Libagon, Sogod, and Bontoc in Southern Leyte; as well as the city of Catbalogan, and the municipalities of Matuguinao, Gandara, Sta. Margarita, and Basey, all in Samar.
“We have implemented cash-for-training and cash-for-work programs to assist local government units in improving access to water and food security. We see that they have plans and projects in place, and the DSWD is here to help through what we call resource augmentation,” DSWD-8 Regional Director Grace Subong said.
Subong further explained, “The beneficiaries who participate in these projects undergo training to understand the purpose and importance of their involvement.”
About 5,023 residents are expected to benefit from the program through the cash-for-work scheme, earning P405 per day for 15 days.
These beneficiaries undergo a three-day cash-for-training program before implementing the identified projects.
The projects included in the program encompass fish farming, communal gardening, and the rehabilitation of water systems, ensuring that the community has a sufficient supply of food and water during times of calamities and disasters.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
