Nineteen irrigators’ associations in Davao Region earned more than PHP500,000 from the sale of tilapia and vegetables produced under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Project LAWA at BINHI as of June.

The National Irrigation Administration-Davao Region (NIA-11) reported the accomplishment on Friday, following the benchmarking on July 13 to 16 with officials from the central office.

Teofisto Abraham, president of Beducasia Inc., said that through the project, their community “gained additional sources of income and greater hope for improving our livelihoods.”

Abraham said the visit of DSWD and NIA officials enabled the agencies to “personally witness our situation and understand our needs.”

“We look forward to their continued assistance, particularly in addressing shortages such as solar lights and fish nets, which would be of great help to our daily lives,” he said.

Project LAWA (Project Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) is DSWD’s flagship convergence initiative designed to strengthen food security, promote climate resilience, and create sustainable livelihood opportunities through water resource development and community-based food production.

As an implementing partner, NIA identifies and endorses qualified irrigators’ associations, provides technical assistance on irrigation and water management, monitors project implementation, and coordinates with partner agencies to ensure sustainability.

Since the partnership began in 2025, NIA-11 has endorsed 19 irrigators’ associations, benefiting nearly 1,000 farmer-members across the region.

The benchmarking activity was led by NIA officer-in-charge Deputy Administrator Reyne Ugay, joined by officials from DSWD-11, Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and Employment-11, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-11.

“This benchmarking activity for Project LAWA at BINHI serves as a venue for discussions on program implementation, updates, inter-agency coordination and collaboration as we work together toward our common goal of sustainable farming,” Ugay said.

As part of field validation, the delegation visited three project sites: Beducasia Project LAWA at BINHI Association in Braulio E. Dujali, Davao del Norte; Cocornon Irrigators Association Inc. in Lupon, Davao Oriental; and Tamia Communal Irrigators Association Inc. in Compostela, Davao de Oro.

Meanwhile, NIA-11 Regional Manager Dexter Sablaon emphasized that benchmarking goes beyond evaluating accomplishments.

“This is not just a benchmarking activity — it marks the beginning of shared learning and the exchange of best practices that will further strengthen the implementation of Project LAWA at BINHI here and across the country,” he said. (PNA)