THREE community organizations in New Bataan, Davao de Oro, received new agricultural and water infrastructure support from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Davao on August 20, 2026, boosting local food security against climate risks.
The turnover provided interventions under Project Lawa at Binhi (Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) to the Functionaries Bayanihan Lawa at Binhi Association, Magangit Fisherfolks Association, and Spes Local Project Lawa at Binhi Association.
In a statement released on social media on August 24, 2026, DSWD-Davao emphasized that the event served as an opportunity to recognize the shared responsibility of local stakeholders. "Binigyang-diin din dito ang kahalagahan ng pagmamay-ari ng komunidad, pananagutan, at sama-samang pagkilos sa wastong paggamit, pangangalaga, at pagpapanatili ng mga intervention,” the agency said.
(The event also emphasized the importance of community ownership, accountability, and collective action in the proper utilization, care, and maintenance of the interventions.)
The initiative gathered representatives from DSWD-Davao, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), local agriculture offices, and community development sections to provide appropriate technical support and crop protection for the beneficiaries.
Implemented under the Risk Resiliency Program–Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (RRP-CCAM), the agency noted that Project Lawa at Binhi uses a community-driven approach to enhance food security, sustainable livelihoods, and community resilience against challenges posed by climate change.
According to records from DSWD-Davao, Project Lawa was first piloted in Davao de Oro in August 2023 to help farming communities construct water harvesting reservoirs during severe El Niño dry spells. The initiative expanded nationwide in early 2024 into Project Lawa at Binhi, incorporating communal vegetable gardens and tree planting to build long-term climate resilience.
The turnover in New Bataan is part of a series of regional rollouts by DSWD-11, following recent activities in the region, including a P2.5-million site turnover in Dujali, Davao del Norte on August 7, a coffee-planting drive in Malita, Davao Occidental on August 19, and an ongoing 16-week farmers' field school in Lupon, Davao Oriental. GRS
