Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has urged all local chief executives along the Davao-Agusan River to revive the Davao-Agusan River Basin Development Council and look for long-term solutions to the perennial problem of flooding in the Davao and Caraga Regions.

During a visit yesterday to Compostela Valley Province and Agusan del Sur to assess the damage to crops caused by Typhoon Auring and heavy rains, Piñol also proposed the planting of rubber in upstream areas, which are tributaries to the Davao-Agusan Rivers.

“It is not enough that DA will distribute rehab seeds and other inputs every after flooding which is short-term only”, Pinol stressed.

“What we need now is a long-term solution”, Piñol added.

He urged the LGUs to reconvene the dormant council and come up with solutions to the flooding.

He said he would present the council’s proposal to President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Submit the proposal so I can present it during our cabinet meeting for possible accessing of the climate change fund of the United Nations (UN),” Piñol said.

Davao Region reported an initial damage of P64M and Caraga Region P125M from the recent typhoon and heavy rains that inundated farming communities.

On his visit to Nabunturan, Compostela Valley and Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, Piñol said rubber could also be a source of income for farmers.

Recently a Finland-based company expressed interest in putting up a tire manufacturing company in Mindanao and could soon produce the first tire brand in the Philippines.

“We have to create a local market for our rubber to stabilize the price which is advantageous for our rubber farmers,” Piñol said.  (Aurelius P. Arais, DA-CARAGA/photo by John Pagaduan)

Reference:

Emmilou Presilda
Chief, Regional Agriculture & Fisheries Information Service, DA-CARAGA
Contact No. 09163093568