The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office XI formally turned over key interventions under Project LAWA at BINHI to local stakeholders during a ceremony held on July 3, 2025, at Purok 3-C, Mangayon, Compostela.

The turnover ceremony marked the official handover of project responsibilities and assets to partner communities, symbolizing the culmination of months of collaborative efforts between national agencies, local government units, and community organizations. The initiative, under the Risk Resiliency Program – Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (RRP-CCAM), aims to strengthen food and water security, promote sustainable livelihoods, and enhance community resilience against climate-related challenges.

Karen C. Gayonan, Regional Focal, and Luigi Garzon, Provincial Focal, represented DSWD Field Office XI. National government agencies were also represented, including the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), led by Dominador Napoles, and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), represented by Marc Louie S. Marin and Joel Carmilotes.

Local officials in attendance included Punong Barangay Evan Fuentes and Sangguniang Bayan Members Hon. Atty. Jocelyn Romano, Hon. Elmer Paul Bangacasan, and Hon. Gaspar Lorono. Municipal Technical Working Group members, including MSWDO Vanissa Paqueo, Jovelin Abucayon, and MAGRO’s Lilianie Yorong, also joined the event.

The ceremony also gathered community associations that will sustain the project’s outcomes, including the Mangayon Organic Farmers Association, Seeds of Life High-Value Crops Farmers Association, Tamia Communal Irrigator Farmers Association, and Maparat United Farmers Association.

“The turnover is not just the end of a project but the start of stronger community stewardship. We trust that these interventions will flourish under your care and continue to improve livelihoods and resilience in Compostela,” said Karen C. Gayonan during her remarks.

Community leaders expressed their gratitude to DSWD and partner agencies for the interventions that have helped empower local farmers and improve agricultural productivity. The event concluded with a symbolic handover of project documents and inputs, signifying the community’s readiness to sustain and build on the gains of Project LAWA at BINHI.