TAGUM CITY (PIA) – The farmers and fisherfolk in Davao del Norte expressed their gratitude to the government for not leaving them behind as they are still recovering from the effects of the El Niño and the massive flooding that hit the region early this year.
In a visit on June 6 in Tagum City, President Marcos, Jr. personally handed over cash aid worth P10,000 each to 1,000 beneficiaries of the Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolk, and Families (PAFFF) program.
Among the recipients was Randy Dela Cruz, a coconut and rice farmer from New Corella in Davao del Norte, who expressed his thanks to the President for the assistance given, saying this would greatly help his family’s needs and restore his small farms after being severely hit by El Niño in the past months.
“Dako akong pasalamat kay PBBM sa among nadawat karon. Dako na kaayo ning tabang sa akong pamilya aron makapalit og mga kinahanglanon sa akong mga kabataan ug sa akong panguma (My great gratitude to PBBM for what I received now. It’s a big help to my family, to buy some needs of my children and for my farming),” Randy said.
Randy shared that the El Niño phenomenon severely affected his rice and coconut crops, noting that scarcity of water in his rice paddies suppressed the growth of the crops, thereby significantly reducing the yields.
He added that the lesser rain brought about by the El Niño phenomenon made his coconut trees bear a small number of fruits. Others, especially the young ones, died out.
When asked how he would use the assistance, Randy promptly answered that he would use it for his family’s needs, especially since his children are still studying, and buy additional fertilizer and other equipment to improve his farm yields.
Similarly, Marissa Villarubia, a rice farmer from Carmen in Davao del Norte, was grateful for the assistance given, saying that this would help them sustain their daily needs while preparing their rice fields for the next planting season.
She added that assistance was a great help given that their recent rice harvest was a “failure” due to the series of calamities that hit the province.
“Dako kaayo na’g matabang sa amoa kay karon wala pa man mi ka basak. Mao nang makapalit jud mi og bugas. Maong daghan kaayong salamat sa programa (This is a big help to us because we have not yet returned to planting rice. We will use this to buy rice. So, we are really grateful for this program),” Marissa said.
Marissa said that aside from El Niño, her rice farms were also affected by massive flooding brought about by the trough of LPA that hit Davao region early this year.
It can be recalled that Carmen is among the areas in the region that submerged for several days due to the massive flooding, and Marissa’s rice fields were no exception.
She recalled that after the flooding from around 60 sacks of unhusked rice or palay that they expected to be harvested from their rice paddies, only 20 sacks were actually harvested.
Aside from the significant decrease in yields, the quality of rice grains is also bad. She described it as somewhat black or dark, in contrast to what a marketable rice grain looks like.
As such, Marissa expressed her profound gratitude for the assistance, as this would significantly help her family as they recover.
Meanwhile, Antonio B. Ortiz, a fisherfolk from Panabo City, Davao del Norte, conveyed appreciation for the cash assistance he received, as this would aid his family in recovering from the aftermath of the recent flooding that severely hit the province.
Antonio said that massive flooding severely affected his source of income.
He revealed the flooding in the province brought so much mud and silt to coastal areas of Panabo City. This debris makes it extra hard for them to dock this small fishing boat; he added that there were instances that this caused damage to their boat.
That’s why he said it took quite some time to remove the debris before they could start fishing again in the sea.
Randy, Marissa, and Antonio were only a few of the farmers and fisherfolk who benefited from PAFFF. Just like any other beneficiaries, they believe that the assistance given would significantly help them as they revitalize their livelihood.
Jose Maria Villarama II, Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary for Radio and Task Force El Niño spokesperson, said that PAFFF emerged as a result of the sincere desire of the President to help farmers and fisherfolk affected by El Niño.
“Sa simula pa lamang po ng onset ng El Niño phenomenon very concern na ang ating Pangulo sa epekto nito sa fisherfolks at sa ating magsasaka… nakita po ng Pangulo na kung may maitutulong po ang kanyang opisina Office of the President mismo ay bakit hindi niya gawin ito. So, dito po nagsimula yung konsepto ng PAFF,” he revealed.
Villarama revealed Davao del Norte was the fourth area where the President visited to distribute assistance. (CLC/ASO/PIA Davao)
