Officials from the Department of Agriculture, together with representatives from the Office of the President, inspected severely hit areas in Oriental Mindoro, and facilitated the distribution of financial support to 100 farmers of Teresita in Mansalay—a municipality declared under state of calamity due to El Niño’s harsh impact.
The assistance include:
Initial disbursement of P250,000 from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) to 10 farmers through the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan program. DA-ACPC also facilitated loan applications for numerous affected farmers.
Distribution of indemnity insurance worth P395,460 to 41 farmers by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. Additionally, the Philippine Center for Postharvest and Mechanization donated a four-wheel drive tractor valued at P2.2 million to a farmers’ association.
Distribution of 900 packets of assorted vegetables worth P27,375 by the Regional High-Value Crops Development Program.
Allocation of P5.7 million in cash aid to 1,142 farmers from Bulalacao and Mansalay through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance program, with each farmer receiving P5,000.### (text by Kristel Joyce Merle/photos by Joseph Henry Elamparo, DA-AFID and Jay Morales, DA-OSEC)
