It all started with a spark of hope, a simple idea for a better future loaded in the acronym LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) Project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
For the farmers of Barangay Cawitan, Santa Catalina in the province of Negros Oriental, Project LAWA and BINHI is life made better.
The LAWA and BINHI project capacitates communities to cope with impacts of climate change.
Cawitan is a small barangay in Sta. Catalina which features lush and scenic surroundings. It is, however, not so easily accessible even from the town proper. With its rich soil and other natural resources, the place can be described as “development just waiting to happen.”
Nurturing this potential, the DSWD brought the LAWA at BINHI to the area and in just one year, Barangay Cawitan now boasts of an eco-park with a vegetable garden and a ‘tilapia’ fishpond, initially made by the toiling hands of 59 farmers and their families who had embraced the project.
“More than 50 residents from Barangay Cawitan responded to the challenge of LAWA and BINHI last year,” Irene Montejo, Project Development Officer of the DSWD Field Office 7 (Central Visayas), told the #Kwento ng Pag-Asa at Pagbabago (#KPAP), the DSWD’s online documentary, during an interview.
Under the project, the beneficiaries undertook training on agriculture to learn farming technology and fish farming. The beneficiaries were also taught about project management and sustainability. Part of project strategy is that they build their own climate change-resilient agricultural projects.
After finishing their training, the beneficiaries and their families started tilling the land to prepare for planting crops, which are mostly vegetables.
The land, all 500 square meters of space, was an idle land that belonged to the family of Mary Ann Valencia, the President of the Cawitan Maabtikon LAWA at BINHI Group. The Valencia family allowed them the use of the land for free.
Mary Ann narrated: “Dati kakahuyan lahat ito, nung binigay ang project, kami na nagstart nito kung paano aayusin. So, yun unang una yung nasa likuran ginawa po namin una yung fishpond. Ginamitan namin ng tools para lang, lahat ng tao na 59 members, kami lahat gumawa ng box para sa aming mga isda, sa mga tilapia.”
The initial step was to create a space for growing vegetables. However, as planting crops needs a steady supply of water, the Cawitan Maabtikon LAWA at BINHI Group decided to build a fish pond, which will also serves as a steady supply of water for their vegetable garden.
“Kailangan namin na meron kaming magamit para mag water sa tanim namin, kaya yun ang rason kaya naglagay din kami ng fishpond. Diyan din po kami kumukuha ng ipandidilig po ng aming mga tanim,” Mary Ann told the #KPAP team.
Just six months after the land was prepared and the fish pond was created, the group had already begun harvesting the fruits of their labor.
“After six months, naka harvest po kami ng tilapia, at the same time nakaharvest din po kami ng mga gulay namin na mga tinanim namin. Kasi nung time na yun wala pang ulan, kaya marami kaming tanim nung panahon na iyon, halos lahat ng klase ng gulay meron kami,” Mary Ann said.
From their earnings, the group further developed their vegetable garden and fishpond by constructing a comfort room and building a simple rest area, which they call their “resthouse.”
A convergent effort, the project’s implementation was made possible with the help of other government agencies like the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the support of the local government units (LGUs) from the provincial, municipal, and barangay levels.
Recognizing the full development potential of what the Cawitan Maabtikon farmers started with LAWA and BINHI, the municipality is looking at making the project an agro-tourism site.
“We have an initial talk na gagawin itong agri-tourism, why? Because it’s another income sa kanila kapag agritourism. And the municipality also is happy if gagawin itong tourism site, dahil alam naman natin na maraming budget sa tourism. Yung mga daan natin, yun ang pinoproblema natin na parating tayo dito, ang mga daan natin hindi pa naaayos lahat. Kapag darating sa tourism, maraming support dun, also the DSWD,” said Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Tourism and Social Services head Herman “By-Yong ” Carballo.
The Cawitan Maabtikon LAWA at BINHI Association already opened their project to the public as an eco-park with their “Bingwit Mo, Bili mo” initiative.
Under this initiative, any interested individual can go visit the Cawitan eco-park and try their hands at pond fishing. They are also welcome to buy vegetable produce from the small farm.
“Maraming salamat talaga sa DSWD kasi malaking tulong talaga ito kasi mula’t sapul, ngayon pa lang dito namin nararamdaman na talaga ang project LAWA at BINHI ay hindi idole-out lang…ngayon may kapalit talaga, pawis, kilos, sacrifice para makuha namin ang income. Marami kaming natutunan talaga,” Evangeline Nalam, a beneficiary, pointed out.
From a simple vegetable garden and a small fish pond, the group is not stopping anytime soon. With gratitude, Mary Ann shared their upcoming steps for their organization.
“Magagawa po kami ng mga cottages, i-improve pa namin na sooner or later, meron din kaming paliguan. Palawakin pa po namin ang aming tanim hindi lang mga gulay, pati mga root crops, o mga banana. Saka magkakaroon kami, bibigyan din po kami ng DA, sa livestock ng mga chicken para alagaan po naming,” Mary Ann said.
What started as a spark, has now become a movement for growth in Barangay Cawitan, all made possible through LAWA and BINHI. (GDVF)
