The land in Barangay Potia, Alfonso Lista, was not easy to convince. Rain came hard, then not at all. Soil cracked, water ran off, and harvests were never certain. For years, farming meant risk more than reward. Through Project LAWA at BINHI, a small group of farmers chose to confront that reality and in doing so, built a model of resilience now taking shape in Ifugao.
Potia, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao — Climate change had already rewritten the rules of farming in this community. Water scarcity, declining soil health, and unreliable yields left many households with little margin for recovery. When the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Risk Resiliency Program–Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (RRP-CCAM), introduced Project LAWA at BINHI, the offer came with no guarantees—only the tools to adapt.
There are currently 24 partner-beneficiaries who worked on this project. Over three days of capacity-building training under the Cash-For-Training (CFT), participants were introduced to organic farming, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), climate-resilient food systems, and water resource protection. For many, the concepts ran against years of experience shaped by trial and error. Learning meant unlearning and committing to methods whose results would take time.
Leadership emerged early. The group unanimously chose Semilyn T. Gui-ong, 34, of Barangay Potia, to steer the project. Her role would prove critical in holding the group together through the most demanding phase.
During a 15-day cash-for-work implementation, the farmers turned plans into physical structures under the sun and rain. They carved out a 1,200-square-meter LAWA water-impounding system designed to capture rainfall, recharge groundwater, secure irrigation in dry months and to store small farm reservoir to include fish farming. The work was labor-intensive, unfamiliar, and at times uncertain. But when the pond was completed and stocked with 500 tilapia fingerlings, the structure became more than infrastructure, it became insurance against the next dry season.
Nearby, the BINHI site took shape. On 1,500 square meters of land, members established an organic vegetable production area following GAP standards. Seeds and seedlings were partly shouldered by the group themselves, a deliberate decision that signaled ownership rather than dependence.
The final hurdle was sustainability.
Two days of training focused on management, basic enterprise planning, and long-term maintenance, skills often overlooked once infrastructure is in place. Afterward, the project was formally turned over. Responsibility shifted fully to the community.
Their story did not end here; it was only the beginning.
The group, now formally registered as the MAKODHOR Farmers Association, expanded to 37 members. “MAKODHOR,” meaning strength, reflected what the members had learned: resilience is built collectively. Their first production cycle yielded 98.5 kilograms of assorted vegetables from 2,500 planted crops. Sales reached ₱40,000.00 modest earnings, but a crucial first income earned through shared labor and new practices.
The tilapia in the LAWA pond continue to grow, offering a second stream of food and income. Encouraged by early gains, the association has since rented a one-hectare agricultural area to scale up production an uncommon step for a newly formed farmers’ group.
The impact extends beyond income. Families now have steadier access to fresh, chemical-free food. Members have gained practical skills in climate-resilient farming and aquaculture. Water resources are better managed, and idle land has returned to use.
Project LAWA at BINHI in Ifugao did not remove hardship. Instead, it gave farmers the means to confront it through planning, discipline, and shared responsibility.
What stands in Potia today is not just a pond or a garden, but a working example of how communities can move from vulnerability to control, one difficult step at a time.
From land that resisted, to farmers who adapted, this is the strength behind MAKODHOR, and it is still growing. # DSWD-CAR Social Marketing Unit – Novelle G. Ongat, Information Officer II, Disaster Response Management Division
