At least 1,000 poor families, mainly beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in some areas in Rizal and Quezon Provinces, will be provided livelihood through engaging in forest restoration, maintenance and protection activities. This is through the partnership of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the United States Agency for the International Development’s (USAID) through the Philippines Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for Stronger Economy and Ecosystem Resilience (B+WISER) Program.

The B+WISER Program, which is a technical assistance grant of the USAID to the Philippine Government through DENR, aims to enhance the resilience of watershed ecosystems and communities, generate financial incentives for biodiversity and forest conservation and build capacities for sustainable watershed management in the country.

Among the areas where the said program is implemented are the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape and Kaliwa Watershed Forest Reserve covering upland areas in Tanay, Antipolo City and San Mateo in Rizal and General Nakar in Quezon.

Through the partnership, families and communities along the basin will be organized and trained to participate in the forest reforestation, maintenance and activities in the said sites.

The DSWD, through the Cash for Building Livelihood Assets (CBLA) under its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), will provide employment to poor families particularly beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program along these areas. Cash-for-work activities include weeding and mulching, replanting of seedlings and nursery establishment and seedling production.

Beneficiaries to engage in any of these livelihood activities will be paid PhP272 per day or 75% of the current regional minimum daily wage.

Besides livelihood opportunities, the DENR and the B+WISER will also conduct Family Development Sessions for beneficiaries in these areas that focus on the community’s role in natural resource management and forest restoration and protection among others.

“We are grateful for this partnership with the DENR and the USAID. With partnerships like this, we are able to help sustain the environment while providing opportunities for our beneficiaries to engage in livelihood activities to help them support their respective families,” shared DSWD IV-A Regional Director Leticia T. Diokno.

The SLP, one of DSWD’s core social poverty alleviation programs, seeks to provide income-generating opportunities and employment to poor households, particularly the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program. The CBLA is a community mobilization strategy of the SLP that uses the cash-for-work scheme to help the community in developing physical and natural assets to increase their livelihood gains.# with reports from SLCabrera & MADiaz