In the upland areas of Davao de Oro, the cash payouts received by partner-beneficiaries of Project LAWA at BINHI are not just payments for labor—they are investments in resilience, dignity, and hope.

In Brgy. Tubo-tubo, Monkayo, 68-year-old Alfonso Manjac expresses deep gratitude for the project. With the ₱9,620 he received after 20 days of Cash-for-Work, he was able to buy farming materials, build communal gardens, and improve backyard farms. “Our hard work is now bearing fruit. Even children who used to avoid vegetables are now eating them because of what we’ve planted,” he shared. Their payout was not spent idly—it became capital for food, nutrition, and community growth.

In Brgy. Sabud, Laak, Roberto Villarobia, 65, recalls the physical challenges of building their fishpond—mosquito bites and rashes from wild plants—but the payout gave them what they needed to finish what they started. “We will buy fish feed and tools for the pond. Once we stock it with tilapia, it will all be worth it,” he said. With the training they received from the project, they now know how to care for fish more effectively, turning what used to be a gamble into a livelihood.

Meanwhile, Pedrito Pacheco Sr., 72, of Langtud, Laak, explained that their association pooled their payouts to support their group project. “With the budget from DSWD, we were able to improve our fishpond and vegetable garden. We’re trying to make it an income-generating project to sustain our association,” he said. While they are hopeful for additional support, especially for farm-to-market roads, they are determined to make the most of what they’ve been given,so more families and neighbors can benefit.

Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) are national initiatives of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). They empower vulnerable communities through sustainable food and water systems, poverty and malnutrition reduction, climate resilience, and participatory local governance.

For these beneficiaries, the payout is only the beginning. What they gained beyond the cash, knowledge, unity, and opportunity, has laid the foundation for long-term change in their lives and communities.