In the towns of President Roxas and Carmen in Cotabato province, community gardens built under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) are now helping boost the towns’ local economy through agricultural livelihood opportunities for farmers.

Most of the beneficiaries are also farmers operating community gardens. They have successfully ventured into selling their crops to local markets, according to Ryan Hervilla, DSWD Field Office (FO) 12- SOCCKSARGEN project development officer (PDO) of Project LAWA and BINHI.

PDO Hervilla is pleased to see how the beneficiaries are reaping the fruits of their labor from the DSWD project.

“Nakita ko kung paano nila ginamit ang kanilang natutunan sa training at cash-for-work na binigay ng DSWD. Ngayon, supplier na sila ng gulay sa mga pamilihan at may mga buyer na rin sila. Napakagandang makita kung paano ito nakapagpabago ng kanilang buhay,” PDO Hervilla pointed out.

Under the Project LAWA and BINHI, a total of 313 residents from the town of President Roxas and 775 from Carmen have participated in the cash-for-work and cash-for-training sessions.

For 20 days, the participants were provided with the resources and comprehensive training necessary to cultivate sustainable vegetable and communal gardens, and construct water-harvesting facilities.

They are now harvesting the benefits of Project LAWA and BINHI as the completed projects simultaneously mitigate the impact of climate change in the province and open up sustainable
source of income in the area of agriculture.

As the community-based gardens become reliable sources of fresh produce, these also subsequently contribute to a strengthened local economy, according to PDO Hervilla.

The DSWD FO SOCCSKSARGEN continues to monitor the completed Project LAWA at BINHI sites across the region to ensure that they are well-maintained and utilized by the communities and partner-beneficiaries.

Project LAWA and BINHI is designed to maintain agricultural productivity during dry periods and to manage excess water during periods of heavy rainfall associated with La Niña.

The project is among the innovations in the DSWD under the leadership of Secretary Rex Gatchalian that focuses on mitigating the impact of food insecurity and water scarcity caused by El Niño while preparing for the potential effects of the rainy season.

Project LAWA and BINHI was cited by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr in his 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 22, prompting the DSWD chief to say that “our small idea has become a SONA program.”#

Tagalog Version

Project LAWA at BINHI nakatulong sa pagpapalago ng ekonomiya sa dalawang bayan sa Cotabato

Inihayag ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) na malaki ang naitulong ng Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) ng ahensya upang mapalago ang lokal na ekonomiya ng mga bayan ng President Roxas at Carmen sa lalawigan ng Cotabato, sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng oportunidad sa mga magsasaka para mapaunlad ang agrikultura.

Ayon kay Ryan Hervilla, DSWD Field Office (FO) 12- SOCCKSARGEN project development officer (PDO) ng Project LAWA at BINHI, karamihan sa mga benepisyaryo ng programa ay pawang magsasaka na nago-operate ngayon ng community gardens sa kanilang lugar. Ang kanilang inaning pananim ay naibebenta nila sa lokal na pamilihan.

“Nakita ko kung paano nila ginamit ang kanilang natutunan sa training at cash-for-work na binigay ng DSWD. Ngayon, supplier na sila ng gulay sa mga pamilihan at may mga buyer na rin sila. Napakagandang makita kung paano ito nakapagpabago ng kanilang buhay,” paliwanag ni PDO Hervilla.

Sa ilalim ng Project LAWA at BINHI, may kabuuang bilang na 313 residente sa bayan ng President Roxas at 775 naman mula sa bayan ng Carmen ang lumahok sa cash-for-work t cash-for-training sessions.

Sa loob ng dalawampung (20) araw, ang mga sumali ay nabigyan ng kaalaman at komprehensibong pagsasanay para sa mabilis at magandang ani ng mga gulay at pagpapatayo ng communal gardens, gayundin ng water-harvesting facilities.

Sa kasalukuyan, ang mga benepisyaryo ng programa ay nagbe-benepisyo na sa Project LAWA at BINHI kasabay ng pagpapagaang sa epekto ng climate change, habang ang mga community-based garden naman ay nagreresulta sa magandang ani ng sariwang gulay bukod pa sa pinakakakitaan ito ng mga magsasaka.

Samantala, patuloy pa din ang pagmo-monitor na isinasagawa ng DSWD FO SOCCSKSARGEN para sa Project LAWA at BINHI sites sa iba pang lugar sa rehiyon upang matiyak na ma-maintain ito at magamit sa tamang paraan.

Ang Project LAWA at BINHI ay dinesenyo para sa agricultural productivity sa panahon ng tagtuyot at upang magamit din ang sobrang tubig sa panahon naman ng tag-ulan o La Niña.

Ang naturang proyekto din ay kabilang sa innovations ng DSWD sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Secretary Rex Gatchalian, kung saan ito ay nakatuon sa pagpapagaang ng epekto ng food insecurity at water scarcity dulot ng El Niño.

Kabilang ang Project LAWA and BINHI sa binanggit ni President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr sa kanyang ika-tatlong State of the Nation Address (SONA) noong nakaraang July 22, 2024.#