EXPAND. The Project Local Adaptation to Water Access in Barbaza, Antique in this photo taken on March 5, 2024. Erlyn Garcia, Department of Social Welfare and Development-Regional Office 6 Disaster Response Management Division chief, said in an interview Friday (April 5, 2024) that the municipalities of San Remigio, Valderrama and Tibiao will be included this year. (Photo courtesy of DSWD-6)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will expand its Risk Resiliency Program to three more towns in Antique, following its initial implementation in three municipalities.
Erlyn Garcia, DSWD-Regional Office 6 (Western Visayas) Disaster Response Management Division chief, said that from the pilot municipalities of Sebaste, Sibalom and Barbaza, the Project Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (LAWA at BINHI) will already cover the towns of San Remigio, Valderrama, and Tibiao.
Project LAWA and BINHI is a proactive intervention and sustainable solution to combat hunger, alleviate poverty, and decrease the economic vulnerability of communities by addressing food insecurity and water scarcity due to climate change.
The six towns have an allocation of at least PHP22.2 million.
"The three additional municipalities were priority areas being exposed to the effects of El Niño phenomenon and with the most number of poor families based on the Listahanan 3," Garcia said in an interview Friday.
Listahanan 3 is the DSWD survey of the “poorest of the poor” families.
Garcia said that the municipality of Barbaza is the first to implement the project for 301 beneficiaries in the first week of May for 20 days.
She said the first three days are for training, focusing on learning and development sessions to get oriented on the importance of the project.
They will then embark cash-for-work for 15 days, including constructing of small water reservoirs and planting drought-resilient crops like bananas and cassava.
It will culminate with a two-day training on the sustainability of the project.
“The beneficiaries during the entire durationwill receive PHP450 daily wage,” Garcia said. (PNA)
