The Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished Project, also known as “Project LAWA at BINHI,” in Barangay Olave and Barangay Parian, Enrique Villanueva, in Siquijor Province, sold a total of PHP 61,506 worth of food crops through their community gardening in October 2024.

The project yielded 683 kilos of high-value food crops in Barangay Olave worth PHP 34,393.00 and 476 kilos in Barangay Parian, equivalent to PHP 27,113.00. The crops include okra, eggplant, ampalaya, string beans, and squash, which the partner-beneficiaries sold to neighboring communities and barangays.

According to Jenny Tapay, one of the partner-beneficiaries in Brgy Olave, their earnings at the Project LAWA at BINHI helped them to sustain their daily expenses and needs.

“Nakatabang ug dako ang maong proyekto sa akong pamilya tungod kay pinaagi sa among harvest nga mga lagutmon gikan sa among communal garden, naka income kami ug naka bahin. Ug ang among nabahin nakatabang ug dako sa among mga pang adlaw-adlaw nga panginahanglan sa akong pamilya (The project has greatly helped my family because the vegetables we harvest from our communal garden give us income from the profit we members share. Our earnings have been a big help in meeting our daily needs),” Tapay expressed.

Moreover, following the success of the project in Brgy. Olave and Brgy. Parian, partner- beneficiaries of the said project, plans to continue and develop their community garden.

“Among plano sa grupo nga amo padayonon ug mas palambuon pa ang maong proyekto (We plan to continue and improve the project to make it successful),” Tapay added.

Established in July 2024, Project LAWA at BINHI aims to maintain agricultural productivity during droughts and manage excess water during the rainy season caused by La Niña.

The project is part of DSWD’s Risk Resiliency Program (RRP), which supports vulnerable communities through cash-for-training and cash-for-work programs. Moreover, the project targets to create climate- and disaster-resilient communities for sustainable development by constructing water reservoirs to help farmers meet the challenges of the dry spell.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 7—Central Visayas, in collaboration with the organized Provincial and Municipal Project LAWA at BINHI Technical Working Group continuously monitors the project sustainability of partner-beneficiaries. They evaluate the effectiveness of programs and services, ensuring that partner-beneficiaries can sustain and improve their livelihoods. ###

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