The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has allotted about PHP86 million for its project targeted to mitigate the impact of food insecurity and water scarcity caused by calamities.

DSWD llocos Region Assistant Director for operations Anniely Ferrer, in a phone interview on Wednesday, said 9,978 beneficiaries from 20 local government units (LGUs) in the region have been included in Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished).

She said the project is under DSWD’s Risk Resiliency Program Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Disaster Risk Reduction and is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s focus to address poverty and hunger in communities affected by calamities.

“They are doing community project that will provide source of water and a community garden that will have nutritious vegetables so (that) they will have source of affordable or free food in their communities,” she said in Filipino.

LAWA and BINHI beneficiaries undergo comprehensive training on disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and practical skills for water harvesting, gardening, vermicomposting, and hydroponics under the cash-for-training component of the project.

The participants will do the repair and construction of water harvesting systems and community gardening projects under the cash-for-work.

Ferrer said the cash-for-training and cash-for-work sessions will run for 20 days and each beneficiary will get PHP8,700 after.

“They will receive wages while they are learning or training in disaster preparedness and in working to build sustainable LAWA and BINHI projects,” she said.

The number of beneficiaries per LGU depends on the population and number of identified villages affected by the El Niño phenomenon, she added.

Ferrer said San Carlos City in Pangasinan has the highest number of beneficiaries with 3,307.

“LGUs recommend (the beneficiaries) but preferably (these should be) those in the Listahanan or members of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program or farmers and fisherfolk who have experienced losses due to El Niño,” she said.

Out of the 20 areas included in the project, 11 have completed the cash-for-training and cash-for-work. These include three towns in Ilocos Norte, three in Ilocos Sur, and five in Pangasinan.

The remaining nine are mostly in La Union, with five LGUs, and four in Ilocos Norte. (PNA)