To mitigate the impact of El Niño,  Project LAWA or Local Adaptation to Water Access was launched on August 31 in several regions of the country including the Cordillera Administrative Region.

It aims to develop sustainable solutions and implement interventions that will lessen the challenges faced by the communities during periods of severe drought. Small Farm Reservoirs (SFRs) will be established to address water scarcity .

Regional Director Leo L. Quintilla the DSWD Field Office – Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD Field Office CAR) expressed that impacts of dry spells are often overlooked compared to effects of typhoon. “Through Project LAWA, we are strengthening the resiliency of our farmers in the region  especially on areas commonly affected by drought while ensuring food security when El Niño strikes,” he added.

Three(3) municipalities in the Province of Ifugao namely Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, and Hungduan will be benefiting from this Project with an estimated number of 30 SFRs to be established.  More than 50 farmers and members of the marginalized sector are targeted as beneficiaries for each SFR.

Orientation and consultation with the concerned LGUs were already conducted in the last week of August and site validation on the proposed sites all done by the time of press release.

Project LAWA is a joint project of the DSWD, Department of Agriculture (DA), and United Nation World Food Program (UN-WNFP). DSWD will be providing labor through cash-for-work and training for 15 days,  DA will be providing technical expertise especially in setting up of SFRs, while UN WFP’s will be counter-parting materials.

DSWD’s Cash for Work (CFW) Program serves as a short-term intervention that will provide temporary employment as a source of income of the targeted communities; CFW beneficiaries will be paid 400 pesos for each day of work.# DSWD FIELD OFFICE CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, MYLYN M. BONGSIAN