Davao city: Nineteen irrigators' associations in Davao Region earned more than PHP500,000 from the sale of tilapia and vegetables produced under the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Project LAWA at BINHI as of June.
According to Philippines News Agency, the National Irrigation Administration-Davao Region (NIA-11) reported the accomplishment following the benchmarking on July 13 to 16 with officials from the central office in Metro Manila. Teofisto Abraham, president of Beducasia Inc., mentioned that through the project, their community gained additional income sources, enhancing their livelihoods. Abraham appreciated the visit of DSWD and NIA officials as it enabled them to personally witness their situation and understand their needs.
The project, known as Project LAWA (Project Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished), is DSWD's flagship convergence initiative aimed at strengthening food security, promoting climate resilience, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities through water resource development and community-based food production.
As an implementing partner, NIA identifies and endorses qualified irrigators' associations, provides technical assistance on irrigation and water management, monitors project implementation, and coordinates with partner agencies to ensure sustainability. Since the partnership began in 2025, NIA-11 has endorsed 19 irrigators' associations, benefiting nearly 1,000 farmer-members across the region.
The benchmarking activity was led by NIA officer-in-charge Deputy Administrator Reyne Ugay, joined by officials from DSWD-11, Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and Employment-11, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-11. Ugay stated that the activity served as a platform for discussions on program implementation, updates, inter-agency coordination, and collaboration towards sustainable farming.
As part of field validation, the delegation visited three project sites, including Beducasia Project LAWA at BINHI Association in Braulio E. Dujali, Davao del Norte; Cocornon Irrigators Association Inc. in Lupon, Davao Oriental; and Tamia Communal Irrigators Association Inc. in Compostela, Davao de Oro. Meanwhile, NIA-11 Regional Manager Dexter Sablaon emphasized that benchmarking goes beyond evaluating accomplishments and marks the beginning of shared learning and exchanging best practices to further strengthen the implementation of Project LAWA at BINHI both locally and nationally.
