BUTUAN CITY -- As of November 26, 2021 data, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga has disbursed a total of Php172,706,400 to 71,961 Risk Resiliency Program-Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation-Disaster Risk Reduction (RRP-CCAM-DRR) beneficiaries for this year.

Through the Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD), the implementation of the RRP-CCAM-DRR has been running for four years. Since its implementation, the project has benefited 66 municipalities and six cities in the region. This totaled to 218,132 beneficiaries in the amount of Php523,516,800. 

Felipa Goloran, Punong Barangay of Sabang, Talacogon, Agusan del Sur expressed her delight when asked about the project implementation in their locality.

“Dako kaayo among pasalamat sa RRP-CCAM sa DSWD kay naapil mi diri. Dako kaayo ug tabang ang Cash-for-Work kanamo diri labi na karon nga uso napud ang ting-ulan ug baha, wala mi abot sa among pagpanginabuhi samot na kay pandemya pa gyud (We are greatly thankful for the RRP-CCAM project of DSWD. The Cash-for-Work made a way for us to generate income, especially these rainy days where there’s scarcity of our livelihood. Not to mention the pandemic we are struggling now),” Felipa stated.

The RRP-CCAM-DRR is a national program which aims to strengthen the resiliency of both natural systems and the urban built environment, as well as reinforce the adaptive capacities of vulnerable groups and communities in the country. The program utilizes the Cash-for-Work (CFW) modality to implement the different projects and activities related to Environmental Protection, Support to construction or repair of small-scale community infrastructure, and Livelihood projects. 

The beneficiaries of RRP-CCAM-DRR CFW rendered ten (10) days community work related to preparedness, mitigation, climate change adaptation including hunger mitigation and food security projects.

Meanwhile, the prioritization of the LGU recipients follows the following criteria: provinces located in the 18 Major River Basins (MRBs) and ten Principal River Basins (PRBs) identified priority by the DENR, among the 24 provinces that have high poverty incidence, and lastly, provinces that are vulnerable to shocks and disasters. (DSWD-Caraga/PIA-Agusan del Sur)