The Department of Agriculture (DA) has initially disbursed and distributed P8.5-billion worth of various interventions to enable farmers and fisherfolk to recover from the ravages left by a series of typhoons that hit Luzon in October and November.
“On behalf of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, we will continue to provide our typhoon and flood-affected farmers and fisherfolk in Luzon and other areas with immediate and much-needed assistance to tide them over and start anew,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
“The DA family sincerely commiserates with thousands of our countrymen who were displaced and whose livelihood were adversely affected. Our assistance and interventions may not be enough, but we will extend all the possible help to handhold them until they are back on their feet, and farm and fish again so they can ably provide adequate food and incomes for their families,” added Secretary Dar.
DA Undersecretary for Operations Ariel Cayanan said the interventions comprise of: quality seeds of inbred and hybrid rice, corn and vegetables; cassava seed pieces; fertilizers; farm machinery and equipment; ready-to-lay chicken, ducks, quails, goats, native pigs, and other livestock animals; animal feeds, veterinary drugs and biologics; fingerlings, fiberglass fishing boats; and postharvest equipment.
Of the total P8.5-B assistance, the bulk was extended to farmers and fishers in Cagayan Valley and Bicol, the two hardest-hit regions, receiving P2.34 B and P1.07 B, respectively, in the form of various agri-fishery assistance and interventions.
Other typhoon and flood-affected farmers and fishers in five regions also received the corresponding assistance:
- Cordillera Administrative Region – P382 million (M);
- Region 1 (Ilocos) – P313.8 M;
- Region 3 (Central Luzon) – P281.5M
- Region 4A (CALABARZON) – P736 M; and
- Region 4B (MIMAROPA) – P914 M.
Of the total DA assistance, Cayanan said the bulk was provided by the DA banner programs (rice, corn, and high-value crops) worth P4.06 B, followed by food and cash aid (P1.33 B), quick response fund (P641.82 M), DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (P670 M), P800-M emergency and livelihood loans from the DA’s Agricultural Credit Policy Council, and P1-B insurance payments from the DA’s Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
The total damage on the country’s agri-fishery sector due to the seven successive typhoons (from Nika, Ofel, Pepito, Quinta, Rolly, Siony, and Ulysses) in October and November has to date reached P12.8 B.
The biggest impact in terms of production value was due to typhoons Rolly, Ulysses, and Quinta that recorded P5.79-B, P4.18-B, and P2.66-B worth of losses, respectively.
The damage could have been more massive had it not for the early DA advisories, as instructed by secretary Dar, that enabled farmers and fishers on the path of the typhoons to harvest their crops and fishery products.
As a result, more than P32-B worth of rice, corn, vegetables and fruit crops, and aquaculture species were saved.
For rice, some 1.94 million metric tons worth P30.1 B from 445,376 hectares were spared, while corn farmers were able to save 161,824 MT worth P1.98 B. ### (DA StratComms)
