To support the resilience against water scarcity and food insecurity in response to the threats posed by El Niño and La Niña, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) inaugurated Risk Resiliency Program Project LAWA at BINHI to 20 municipalities in Region 1. Spearheaded by DSWD Field Office 1 Regional Director Marie Angela S. Gopalan, the program aims to empower communities through a comprehensive 20-day Cash-for-Training and Work Modality.
Currently, six (6) LGUs including Adams, Ilocos Norte, Quirino and Cervantes in Ilocos Sur, and Mabini, Burgos, and Urbiztondo in the province of Pangasinan with a total of 3,806 partner-beneficiaries have already completed the programs from the 20 municipalities targets in Region 1.
Partner-beneficiaries on the Project LAWA at BINHI, or the Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA) and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (BINHI), will undergo 3 stages to complete the program implementation.
First, partner-beneficiaries are equipped with essential skills in a three-day learning and development session through Cash-for-Training covering topics such as risk resilience, disaster management, DSWD programs and services, and skills training relative to the project to be implemented.
Following the training, partner-beneficiaries engage in a 15-day Cash-for-Work Program implementing projects supporting water sufficiency and food security.
Lastly, a two-day Cash-for-Training focused on implementation assessment, planning for the sustainability of the projects, and turnover ceremony will be conducted to complete the 20-day program implementation. The partner-beneficiaries are given compensation based on the prevailing regional daily minimum wage rate in Region 1.
“I vow to provide the necessary support and resources that LAWA and BINHI intend to make for the lives of those struggling with these issues. By fostering partnerships, promoting education, and advocating sustainable practices, we can break the cycle of poverty and inequality. Together, let us work towards the future where every member of our community has clean water and nutritious food. I am honored to be part of this journey and will do everything in my power to see the program’s rich potential,” shared by Local Government Unit (LGU) of Adams, Ilocos Norte Mayor Rosalia D. Dupagen during her message during the Turnover Ceremony.
The program targets municipalities in 4 Provinces in Region 1 identified as highly susceptible to El Niño-induced droughts with the highest number of poor, leveraging insights from the Climate Outlook of DOST-PAGASA and Listahanan 3 data. By enhancing adaptive capabilities and mitigating the impact of climate-related disasters, Project LAWA at BINHI seeks to alleviate poverty and strengthen community resilience.
The DSWD Field Office 1’s RRP Focal Persons are conducting simultaneous implementation of the program within the recipient LGU in the Region. By: Nicole Kasandra A. Lipawen, Information Officer II – Disaster Response Management Division
