WATER RESERVOIR. Residents of Barangay Idio in the Municipality of Sebaste, Antique avail of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) cash-for-work program through the establishment of the Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA) pilot project in their area on Sept. 15, 2023. Mylene Binondo, DSWD Regional Office 6 Preparedness and Response Section head, said on Wednesday (Feb. 28, 2024) that at least 30 LAWA projects were established in the municipalities of Sebaste, Sibalom, and Barbaza in Western Visayas in 2023. (Photo courtesy of Pamela Azucena)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA) piloted water projects in three municipalities of Antique to aid farmers affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
Mylene Binondo, DSWD Regional Office 6 Preparedness and Response Section head, said in an interview Wednesday the agency has implemented 30 LAWA projects in the municipalities of Sebaste, Sibalom, and Barbaza earlier identified as vulnerable to drought.
Each of the municipalities was provided with 10 LAWA projects or small farm reservoirs that will ensure sufficient water supply.
Project LAWA, which was officially launched in August 2023, is an initiative of the DSWD, through the Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB), that aims to provide a sustainable solution and proactive intervention that will address the challenges faced by poor communities during periods of severe drought.
The project’s framework focused on the construction of small farm reservoirs strategically placed in selected towns.
Each reservoir is built within a 20- by 25-square meter area with a maximum depth of 50 feet that would serve as vital water sources for communities during drought or dry spells.
In a separate interview, Barangay Idio Captain Pamela Azucena said she was happy that her area was chosen as one of the recipients of the project.
“The small farm reservoir can provide water to around three hectares of farmland in our barangay,” she said.
At least three farmers who each own a hectare of farmland have been identified as an LAWA service area.
The water reservoir, established at a nearby stream, will supply water to around three hectares of rice land that was temporarily converted into farms for drought-resilient crops.
She also said that in the reservoir, they are cultivating tilapia fingerlings, which they hope to be harvested soon.
Meanwhile, Binondo also said that aside from the LAWA project, there were about 50 Antique farmers and fishers were identified as beneficiaries of the cash-for-work program of DSWD.
“With the implementation of the LAWA is the cash for work program where 50 beneficiaries were being paid by DSWD of PHP450 daily wage for every service area,” she said. (PNA)
