Monkayo to have water sources amid El Niño through Project Lawa
THE Project Local Adaptation to Water Access (Project Lawa) was launched in Monkayo, Davao de Oro on August 31, 2023, to assist farmers and fisherfolk on water source issues amid the looming El Niño in the country.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was jointly signed by government and non-government agencies to enhance local resilience and adaptation to water scarcity and food shortages. This initiative involves active community participation in preparation for the impending drought, which could significantly impact local farmers and fisherfolk.
This first-ever joint water access project is being led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, the United Nations' World Food Programme (UN-WFP), and the local government unit of Monkayo.
The water access project will be designed like a man-made water pond, strategically placed in 10 different but determined places in Monkayo. Rainwater will be the main source of these water ponds and farmers can get water from it during planting.
“Mura siya og pool, maghimo ta og patubig… tapos i-take advantage nato usa ang ulan-ulan aron makapasalod pa ta og tubig (This water source that we will be making can be likened to a pool, then we will take advantage of the rainfall),'' DSWD-Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) Regional Director Vanessa Goc-ong said in a speech during the launching program on August 31.
DSWD-Davao’s identified beneficiaries and laborers for the project will be assisted through cash-for-work or cash-for-training assistance. The UN-WFP will also provide 100 shovels, 100 pick axes, 100 buckets, 300 pairs of gloves, and 300 pairs of paddy boots intended to be used in building the project.
Goc-ong said the community can decide on how they can use the water access project after El Niño.
“For the meantime, gina-target nato nga mahimo siyang water source inig naay drought, after ana the community should decide what to use or how to use it, i-fishpond ba nila as a community, sila bahala (For the meantime, we are targeting it to become a water source during the drought. After that, the community should decide how to use it or what to use it for. Should they turn it into a fishpond as a community, it's up to them),” Goc-ong said.
Aside from Monkayo, two other Davao de Oro municipalities will also build the same water access projects in their area, namely Compostela and Laak.
“We base them [three municipalities] didto sa Pagasa’s geophysical map, which is na-identify nga grabe jud nga maigo [sa El Niño] ang Davao de Oro (We based them there from the Pagasa's geophysical map, which identifies that Davao de Oro will be severely affected by El Niño),” Goc-ong said.
Meanwhile, Monkayo municipal mayor Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora said the project will be a success and they will have multiple options for getting water amid droughts.
He also expressed his gratitude to the National Government for helping the farmers and fisherfolk in the upcoming droughts.
The project will be targeted to end by September 15. ICE