TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) -- The local governments in Cagayan Valley are set to construct small farm reservoirs as a mitigating measure against the effects of the El Niño phenomenon. 

In an orientation and planning conference initiated by the Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 21 local governments have committed to implementing programs in response to the possible effects of severe drought that is expected to be experienced during the first semester of the year. 

Part of the programs to be carried out by the local government units is the establishment of small water impounding projects as a key component of the Project Lawa or Local Adaptation to Water Access under the Risk Resiliency Program of the department. 

Project Lawa aims to provide a sustainable solution and proactive intervention that will address the challenges faced by poor communities during periods of severe drought.

Mylene Attaban, DSWD-DRMD chief, said LGUs play vital roles in the implementation of project Lawa especially on the agriculture sector, which is the major economic driver of Cagayan Valley. 

The project, she said, is also a component of the food security initiatives of the government which aims to sustain the production of major crops produced from the region, especially rice, corn, and vegetables. 

DSWD will also implement a cash-for-work program as an alternative livelihood to affected farmers. 

The intervention on the effects of El Niño in the region is in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, which will provide technical assistance in the establishment of small farm reservoirs, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Office, which will provide the needed materials for the project. (OTB/PIA Region 2)