The spirit of “Bayanihan” is alive and well among residents of San Remigio in Antique who jointly worked to help realize the community projects under the Risk Resiliency Program (RRP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“We are able to turn over to the beneficiaries of the barangays of Cadolonan, Barangbang, and Vilvar the projects that they had started to make last month because of their ‘bayanihan’ spirit,” Tiffanie Jane Cabaluna, Project Development Officer 1 in DSWD Region 6, said during the turnover ceremony on Friday.

According to the DSWD website, the RRP is a climate change adaptation and mitigation program designed to enhance the resilience of vulnerable families and communities in the face of socio-environmental risks.

The program, through a convergent approach, integrates cash-for-work initiatives and training programs centered on food security, water sufficiency, and environmental stability.

Cabaluna said the DSWD, through the RRP, provided a 20-day temporary employment for the beneficiaries who labored to make small farm reservoirs (SFRs) where they could grow fish and establish vegetable gardens for their own food security.

The SFRs, built under the DSWD’s Project LAWA at BINHI or the Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverised, will also serve as the beneficiaries’ source of water for their farms, Cabaluna added.

The 700 beneficiaries this year received PHP480 each as daily wage.

In his message, Cadolonan Barangay captain Noel Fabila said he allowed his 200-square-meter farm lot to be used for the RRP so he could help his constituents have their source of food and water for their farms.

“The project is yours so together let us ensure that it will be sustained,” he told the beneficiaries during the turnover ceremony.

Joden Armonio, who heads the beneficiaries’ association in Barangay Barangbang, said that although they have already finished their 20-day temporary employment, they will continue to maintain the RRP through their “bayanihan” spirit.

“Even if the 20-day RRP is now over, we will continue to maintain our project and even to contribute part of our proceeds from our harvest to buy seeds for another planting season,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Jenilyn Victoriano, said she had to walk for hours daily with her husband just to be able to reach the project site.

“The RRP is a big help for us for we are able to learn on how to make water catchment for our own farm, aside from our daily wage earned to meet our family needs,” she said.

Victoriano said the money she earned from the project could be used to buy school supplies for their three children, who are all in elementary this coming school year.

Another beneficiary, Margie Bermudez, said that despite the rain and the near-accident involving a fellow beneficiary, they were really bent on finishing their work.

“I am thankful that finally, we are able to finish our work and will continue to do so to make the RRP successful,” she said.

The RRP beneficiaries, during the turnover ceremony, also pledged their commitment to take the responsibility in the operation and maintenance of the project.

The DSWD Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) will assist to make the project sustainable after the turnover to the beneficiaries. (PNA)