SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA: The local government unit (LGU) of Barbaza will sustain the Risk Resiliency Program (RRP) piloted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the municipality.
Mayor Roberto Necor said in an interview Wednesday that the Project Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (LAWA at BINHI) greatly benefited his constituents, so they will sustain the program using local funds next year.
‘Our local finance committee is now studying to allocate funds to maintain the project because of its big impact on the livelihood of the farmers, in particular,’ Necor said.
Barbaza is one of the three pilot municipalities for Project Lawa in Antique, together with Sibalom and Sebaste, in August 2023.
The pilot implementation generated jobs for 500 farmers tapped under the DSWD cash-for-work program to establish 10 small farm reservoirs that ensured water sufficiency in their identified service areas and helped combat the
drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
They received PHP450 per day for 20 days.
In May this year, the municipality was included in the expansion of the LAWA, with the addition of the BINHI project, benefitting 301 farmers who rendered 20 days of work.
Barbaza Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Prechie Alavata said with sufficient water supply, the farmer-beneficiaries were able to harvest their vegetable crops and are now supplying the requirements for the supplementary feeding program in schools.
‘The beneficiaries are also harvesting tilapia at the water reservoir for their food,’ she said.
Source: Philippines News agency
