SOCSKSARGEN (PIA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 12’s Project LAWA at BINHI, or Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished, has been a lifeline for needy families in Soccsksargen, providing opportunities to boost their income.
The project, which launched this year, has benefited over 8,000 individuals. Mae Grace Alvarez, a solo parent from Barangay Reyes, Banga, South Cotabato, expressed her gratitude to the DSWD for the program, highlighting its impact on her family’s well-being. “As a solo parent, my situation has improved significantly. Before, I struggled every day, lacking the means to support myself. When this help arrived, I finally had the opportunity to provide for my child’s daily needs,” she shared.
Alvarez emphasized the project’s lasting impact. Even though the project concluded this year, their community garden continues to produce vegetables and fruits that they can consume or sell, providing an ongoing source of income. They also received vegetable seedlings to cultivate in their backyards, further enhancing their food security and income-generating potential.
Jerry Dumdum, information officer of the disaster response management division of the DSWD in the region, explained that the project was conceptualized to address the effects of the recent El Niño phenomenon. “We don’t just focus on disaster response, but we’re also giving priority to risk resiliency and disaster preparedness,” he said, adding that the program targeted farmers, fisherfolk, senior citizens, members of indigenous people communities, and solo parents.
Dumdum highlighted the project’s success, noting that post-monitoring indicated a significant positive impact on the pilot communities. He emphasized that the DSWD plans to replicate Project LAWA at BINHI in other areas of Soccsksargen next year due to its effectiveness.
Project LAWA at BINHI implements a cash-for-training and a cash-for-work program, establishing community gardens and fish ponds with support from barangay local government units.
Thousands of beneficiaries, like Alvarez, are eagerly anticipating the return of Project LAWA at BINHI in their communities, recognizing its vital role in generating additional income. Alvarez expressed her joy at the prospect of the project being replicated in other towns in the region.
In Soccsksargen, the program was implemented in the municipalities of Alamada, Arakan, Banisilan, Carmen, and President Roxas in Cotabato Province; Banga, Lake Sebu, Tampakan, T’boli, and Tupi in South Cotabato; Glan, Kiamba, Maasim, Malapatan, and Malungon in Sarangani; and Columbio, Esperanza, Kalamansig, Lebak, and Senator Ninoy Aquino in Sultan Kudarat. (PIA Region 12)
