The Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO) Culasi in the province of Antique had successfully inaugurated its fifth Small Water Impounding System (SWIS) Project located at So. Orag, Brgy. Pitac, Tibiao, Antique on October 25, 2022.

With three hours of trek, CENRO Rhodel B. Lababit, together with Forest Technician (FT) II Edcil Dajay, CENRO NGP Coordinator; For. Sunny Boy Sargento, In-charge of Production Forest Development Unit, and other personnel of DENR CENRO Culasi, Antique graced the inauguration.

This project is in collaboration with So. Orag Community Workers Association (SOCWA), headed by Perla Z, Alejo, the PO President.  The organization is also one of the beneficiaries of the Enhanced National Greening Program (E-NGP) from 2018 up to 2021. The SWIS was strategically constructed in between the forest plantations established in order to ensure that there is available water to be tapped especially during the dry season. It also benefitting the nearly communities.

With so much gratitude, Alejo expresses her heartfelt thanks to DENR, that even the far-flung upland communities like them, have benefited to the services of the Department. The needs of the communities were given emphasis.

SWIS is a water storage structure consisting of an earth embankment spillway, outlet works and canal facilities, designed for soil and water conservation. It is a 64 cu.m. structure for the purpose to address the water supply needs to sustain the growth of 498 hectares NGP plantations in 2017 to 2019 and benefitting 30 households of So. Orag.

“Our People’s Organizations (PO) are significantly contributing why we have lush green mountains. As a way of reminding them that the DENR is here we offer them these SWIS projects that can benefit the community aside from our NGP forest plantations,” said DENR 6 Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran.