The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 5 successfully distributed a total of PHP 6,809,800.00 in cash assistance to 862 partner-beneficiaries of the Risk Resiliency Program (RRP) Project LAWA and BINHI in five municipalities in Catanduanes.

The payout was fully completed from July 8-10, 2024. The project covered five municipalities in Catanduanes, namely: Pandan, Caramoran, Viga, Bagamanoc, and Gigmoto.

Each partner-beneficiary received PHP 7,900 after participating in a 20-day cash-for-training (CFT) and cash-for-work (CFW) activities of the program. The cash aid was based on the prevailing PHP 395 regional daily minimum wage rate in the Bicol Region.

The agency will continue the simultaneous distribution of the cash assistance to partner-beneficiaries in 10 participating municipalities in the provinces of Sorsogon and Masbate in the succeeding days.

In total, DSWD Bicol has 4,773 partner-beneficiaries who will be receiving their cash assistance, with the process expected to be completed before the end of July.

Project LAWA at BINHI or the Local Adaptation to Water Access and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverish initiated by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, aim to strengthen the adaptive capabilities of poor and vulnerable families during severe drought and mitigate the food insecurity and water scarcity caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

This initiative also aims to address and prevent adversities and challenges that may be caused by La Niña and establishes long-term solutions to mitigate the impact of water scarcity and food insufficiency on vulnerable communities during disasters.

The target beneficiaries include families of farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples (IPs), and other climate and disaster-vulnerable families identified as poor by Listahanan 3 or upon assessment and validation by the Local Social Welfare and Development Office (LSWDO).###