PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA)– President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. turned over P60 million in cash assistance to affected farmers and fishermen in Palawan and Puerto Princesa City who were affected by El Niño.
The government assistance is in support of the continuous recovery in the agriculture sector.
The assistance given on Thursday, July 18, is under the Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolk, and Families (PAFFF) from the Office of the President, where he gave P10 million in support to Puerto Princesa City and P50 million to Palawan.
“Ngunit, hindi alam ng [nakararami] na ang Palawan ay nangunguna din sa larangan ng produksyon ng pagkain. Hindi lingid na matindi ang naging epekto ng nagdaang El Niño sa inyong mga sakahan at palaisdaan,” the President said.
The MIMAROPA region sustained damage worth P3 billion due to the dry spell. The Department of Agriculture (DA) recorded a total of 10,030 affected farmers for crops and 141 for livestock.
Aside from Palawan and Puerto Princesa City, the President also handed over a check amounting to P39 million to Marinduque. Almost 10,000 individuals are estimated to benefit from the three areas, where each beneficiary will receive P10,000.
Other departments also extended assistance to local farmers and fishermen, such as P10,000 in cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and interventions from the Department of Agriculture amounting to P936 million.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who acts as the caretaker of Palawan’s first and third congressional districts, provided kilos of rice.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will provide some units of boat and fish cages to fishermen.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said it would provide P8 million in subsidies for operations and maintenance to irrigators’ associations. It will also condone the loans of farmers under Republic Act 10969.
Other interventions include the P20 million Survival and Recovery Program from the Agriculture Credit Policy Council and the P30 million Agri-Negosyo Loan Program.
Impact on farmers, fishermen
Planting has been the main source of income for farmer Anecito Canas to support his family. Unfortunately, he was not able to escape the impacts of El Niño on his livelihood and witnessed the damages caused by the phenomenon to his crops.
“Hindi kami masyado nakapagtanim, nasalanta talaga kami ng init. Pati ilog ay tuyong-tuyo, wala kaming makunan ng pandilig,” he said.
Through the assistance provided by various agencies, particularly the PAFFF, Palawan farmers expect its benefit to their recovery.
“Magamit din namin ito sa aming pagsasaka at makatulong na rin sa pag-aaral ng aking mga anak lalo at pasukan naman,” farmer Hernane Torres of Dumaram town said.
President Marcos assured that the support of the government will not be limited to financial assistance but also to technical interventions from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Other developments in Mimaropa
The President shared that the Ibato-Iraan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project is now close to its completion, which is one of the largely funded projects in Palawan by the NIA.
“Nasa huling bahagi na [rin ng paggawa] natin [sa] Balabac Military Runway, lalo na’t malaki ang papel na gagampanan ng Palawan sa pambansang seguridad,” he said.
He shared that boosting the development of tourism will be undertaken through the Puerto Princesa Airport Development Project and Pag-asa Island Airport Development Project.
“Kasama [rin] siyempre sa ating prayoridad ang pagpapalago ng turismo sa inyong lalawigan at pagpapabuti pa [ang] daloy ng transportasyon dito,” he said.
The Maharlika Investment Corporation, National Electrification Administration, and Palawan Electric Cooperative are now in talks about improving the power supply in Palawan, President Marcos added.
The government also has a buffer stock of P40 million worth of food and non-food items and P50 million in standby funds in preparation for La Niña effects in MIMAROPA. (RG/ PIA Mimaropa-Palawan)
