A total of 420 partner-beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 5 (Bicol) water and food project from Sorsogon province received their wages from the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) emergency employment program on Monday. In an interview on Tuesday, Carl James Cabarles, DSWD-5 disaster response management division information officer, said more than PHP3.4 million was disbursed to the beneficiaries from the towns of Sta. Magdalena and Magallanes through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program of DOLE. "Each partner-beneficiary received PHP7,900 as full compensation for participating in a 20-day cash-for-training and work program, facilitated by the Palawan Remittance Center. This grant was calculated based on the regional daily minimum wage of PHP395," Cabarles said. He said the Project "LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) at BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished)" water and f ood project aims to enhance the resilience of impoverished and vulnerable families against severe droughts and weather disturbances while addressing food insecurity and water scarcity exacerbated by climate change. Cabarles said on Thursday, some 100 partner beneficiaries from Viga, Catanduanes, will receive their compensation for the same program. Beneficiaries include families of farmers, fishermen, indigenous peoples, and other vulnerable groups identified through the DSWD's Listahanan 3 or local social welfare assessments. Source: Philippines News Agency