The mountain village of Liquicia in Caba, La Union now holds a treasure for its farmers. This is the small farmer reservoir that they built through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Project LAWA and BINHI (PLB), the agency’s risk resiliency initiative in communities most affected by drought and climate change.

Members of the Sitio Atik Farmers Association and other community members worked tirelessly and with full dedication for 18 days to build the SFR that became the source of water for their farm crops and communal garden.

Roel Farro lent his property free of charge for 10 years and workers dug the 4,000-square meter land, receiving P8,700 as wages for the work under the PLB.

With a water source, the communal garden in the barangay also thrived, yielding bountiful produce that became the community members’ livelihood. The same garden’s various vegetables also became the village families’ source of food.

“We thought we won’t be able to build it with our lack of tools but through cooperation we did it,” SAFA president Melbert Quinones said in an episode of DSWD’s award-winning online documentary series #Kwento ng PagAsa at Pagbabago.