The DSWD Field Office 1 – Ilocos Region ( DSWD FO1) officially starts this year’s implementation of the Risk Resiliency Program (RRP) Project LAWA at BINHI in Region 1. The Project LAWA at BINHI aims to alleviate hunger, reduce poverty, and lessen economic vulnerability in the affected communities through capacity building on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and skills training.

The 2025 implementation will benefit 25 Local Government Units (LGUs) across the Region with a total of 8,200 partner-beneficiaries.

These LGUs were identified based on the DOST-PAGASA Climate Outlook on the El Niño and La Niña affected areas; top five with the highest poverty incidence based on Listahanan 3; and those with existing Project LAWA at BINHI.

Priority partner-beneficiaries for the project were from the sectors of farmers, fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples (IP), women, persons with disabilities (PWD), LGBTQIA+ individuals, and members of the informal sector who belong to poor households identified by Listahanan or the Local Social Welfare and Development Office (LSWDO).

One of the target LGUs is San Carlos City, Pangasinan with 1,000 partner-beneficiaries—the highest number among all the target LGUs in the Region. The said  LGU has 20 feasible sites validated by DSWD FO 1 with the assistance of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 1 and Department of Agriculture Region 1.

The partner-beneficiaries will undergo 20 days of Cash-for-Training (CFT) and Cash-for-Work (CFW), which is segmented into three stages. The first stage is the Climate Action, wherein the partner-beneficiaries will undergo three days of learning and development sessions focused on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation, and skills training in preparation for the second stage of the implementation, which is the CFW.

The second stage is divided into two phases and will last for 15 days. The first phase is the Project LAWA, which involves activities that help ensure an adequate water supply in the project areas. Meanwhile, the second phase is the BINHI, which focuses on activities that contribute to food security.

As part of the second stage, the partner-beneficiaries of San Carlos will conduct the installation of a hand pump, construction of a Small Farm Reservoir (SFR), and rehabilitation of irrigation canals and water systems for Project LAWA. Meanwhile, for Project BINHI, they will undertake the establishment of communal gardens and nurseries, and planting of fruit-bearing trees.

The third and last stage of the project is the Sustainability Strategy. The partner-beneficiaries will again undergo two days of CFT focused on the sustainability of the conducted projects. 

The other LGUs that are implementing the Project LAWA at BINHI in Region 1 are Adams, Badoc, Dumalneg, Nueva Era, Pagudpud, Batac, and Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Burgos, Cervantes, Quirino, Sugpon, Suyo, and Sinait, Ilocos Sur; Aringay, Caba, San Gabriel, and Santol, La Union; and Agno, Burgos, Mabini, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, Laoac, and Natividad, Pangasinan.

The Project LAWA at BINHI, under the RRP, is an intervention and sustainable solution to address food insufficiency and water scarcity caused by climate change. (by Henry J. Juyno, Information Officer II)