The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bicol started implementing on Tuesday a PHP37.7-million cash-for-work scheme for its Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest) food and water sufficiency program.

In an interview, Claudio Villareal Jr., DSWD-Bicol disaster response and management division chief, said the project will have a total of 4,773 beneficiaries from 15 towns in the region. Of the number, 197 beneficiaries from Batuan town in Masbate province comprise the initial batch.

“The beneficiaries from Batuan have begun the cash-for-training program over the weekend and have now moved on to the cash-for-work phase of the project. The work or job description of the workers during the 18 days will depend on the identified work during their cash-for-training sessions. This is an application of the learnings they acquired during the seminar,” Villareal said.

Some of their tasks include planting disaster-resilient crops, fruit-bearing trees, aquaphonics, and urban container gardening to help achieve food insecurity, and construction or rehabilitation of small water reservoirs or existing irrigation systems for water sufficiency.

Villareal said all beneficiaries are expected to complete the approved program of works by June and to receive their salaries by July.

He said the 15 towns were identified as highly affected by dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon and have the highest number of poor families based on the Listahanan 3 database.

“The program aims to strengthen the adaptive capabilities of poor and vulnerable families during severe droughts and mitigate food insecurity and water scarcity,” he said.

Villareal said the LAWA and BINHI project get additional funding through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). (PNA)