DIGOS City, Davao del Sur (PIA) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assisted farmers, fisherfolk, and their families, affected by the long dry spell in Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental.
The President said about 4,000 people were affected by the drought in barangays in Malalag and Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur, losing about P50 million worth of products during the dry spell.
“Ang mga ito sana ay kita ng mga magsasaka at mangingisda, o sana’y pagkain ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.
(These could have been the income of our farmers and fisherfolks or food for our people)
The President said the El Nino weather phenomenon did not only damage the rice, corn fields and fishponds, it has hindered the aspiration of many Filipinos.
President Marcos paid homage to the farmers and fisherfolk calling them the caretakers of agriculture.
He said that the farming and fisheries sectors ensure the food on the table of every Filipino.
The President pledged that the government would never abandon this sector.
He said that aside from the cash assistance, the Department of Agriculture moves to give the farmers more water by introducing the wet and dry technology which is currently enjoyed by other areas of the country.
The President said the DA has come up with means to alleviate the farming sector under its rice production and corn programs.
He said the Philippine Coconut Authority would also distribute coconut seedlings and fertilizers worth P3-Million under the Coconut Hybridization Project.
President Marcos also revealed the package amounting to P6 million for farmers, fisherfolks and their families hardest hit by El Niño.
“Despite that all in government are working, we will try to provide more to our farmers, fisherfolk and their families,” he said.
He said the Department of Social Welfare and Development would also give away P10,000 each to the 10,000 beneficiaries in Davao del Norte, 10,000 beneficiaries in Davao del Sur and 10,000 beneficiaries in Davao Occidental.
The President also said that the Department of Labor and Employment will give out P2-Million, for 300 beneficiaries of DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program and an additional of P3-Million to more than 300 beneficiaries of the DOLE-TUPAD Program.
He also said the Department of Trade and Industry would give training and a small amount for farmers, fisherfolk and their families to have livelihood while waiting for the next crop year.
The President also said that House Speaker Martin Romualdez also provided funds to finance five kilos each for the beneficiaries.
He also revealed certain projects due to be finished by the Department of Public Works and Highways like the Kiblawan-Padada Road and the Junction Matti and Aurora bypass road.
The President also presented the projects of the Department of Transportation like the Tubalan Poblacion Port in Malita, Balut Island, Mabila Ports sa Sarangani, and the Balangunan Port in Jose Abad Santos.
“These ports are important to the farmers in reducing the transport cost. It is practically an agricultural port designed to reduce the cost of transportation which cuts the cost by reaching their products to the market already,” he said.
The President also talked about the Mindanao Railway Plan Phase 1 which starts in Digos City to Tagum City.
“We are still looking for funds for this project, which I know can help the farmers, expand their market to other areas and spur development,” President Marcos said.
Norman Lavarro, 35, single of Barangay Poblacion, Bansalan, Davao del Sur, a person with disability expressed happiness to receive assistance from the President.
He was seated at the bleacher at the back of the Davao del Sur Coliseum.
The long wait for the president to arrive did not kill his aspiration to multiply the goods given to him by the government by engaging in hog raising.
Lavarro said that nothing grows on dry land.
“This was the impact of the long dry spell in our lives,”Lavarro said.
Distribution of Equipment
Earlier, President Marcos led the turnover of equipment and other support services to farmers and fisherfolk beneficiaries in the provinces of Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental given by the Bureau of Fisheries and Natural Resources under the Fisheries Development Program.
Among these equipment include two units of 21-footer-fiber glass-reinforced plastic motorized boats worth P141,666.00; post-harvest equipment and materials worth P49,000.00; fishing gears and paraphernalia worth P28,400.00; 62-footer-motorized-fiber-glass-reinforced-tuna handling fishing boat worth P7 million.
The Department of Agriculture also distributed to the beneficiaries, one unit of hauling Elf-truck worth P2.1 Million; one unit of hauling winged-van-truck worth P3.2 Million; one unit of hauling winged-van-truck worth P3.2 Million; one unit of combined harvester worth P1 million; two units of farm tractor with implements worth P2.3 Million; Hybrid Rice Seed Processing Facility with warehouse worth P7.1 Million; four units of mechanical recirculating dryer worth P11.7 Million; three units of corn husker-sheller worth P641,664.00.
TESDA also distributed 15 toolkits for its beneficiaries for shielded-metal arc-welding with a single unit of portable welding machine; five tool-kits for organic agricultural production for raise-organic small ruminants with units like manual knapsack sprayer, wheelbarrow, shuttle ground and hop knife, five tool kits for organic agricultural production for raise organic hogs with weighing scale, manual knapsack sprayer and plastic pale. (RVC/RGA/JSGD/PIA-XI)
