Author: DA-AFID | 19 June 2017
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has turned over relief assistance worth P350,000 to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Linamon, Lanao Del Norte for victims of the conflict in Marawi City and other parts of Mindanao.
“This is just the first batch of relief goods. We will continue doing weekly deliveries until order has been restored.” Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said.
Mindanao has been under martial law since May 23, 2017 as government forces continue operations to flush out terrorists of the Maute group from the country’s largest Islamic city.
In a dialogue with the evacuees, Piñol assured the internally displaced persons (IDP) that President Rodrigo Duterte and the DA family care for them.
He announced that to help farmers and their families to recover, the DA will give them Survival and Recovery (SURE) loans once the security situation stabilizes and they return to their farms. The SURE loan include a P5,000 grant and a P20,000 loan with no interest.
A day after visiting the Lanao del Sur IDP center, Piñol conducted another leg of his “Tapatan: Gobyerno at Mamamayan” forum in Tangub City where he distributed a total of P44 million worth of farm implements and about P100 million worth of commitments to the farmers and fisherfolk of Ozamis and surrounding cities.
Tangub City was also included as pilot area for the PLEA program which offers loans of P10,000 to P50,000 to help farmers acquire farm inputs needed, payable under flexible terms with only six percent interest per annum.
Piñol promised an initial P10 million for PLEA loans for Tangub farmers.
“We are lucky that we have a President (Duterte) who understands agriculture. Nobody wanted these conflicts to happen. But expect that the government will be by your side to help specially during these trying times,” he added. # # # (Carlos Baldosa, DA-AFID)
