BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — More than 26,000 farmers and fisherfolks in the Cordillera region affected by the El Niño phenomenon are beneficiaries of the Presidential Assistance to Farmers Fisherfolks and Families (PAFFF) program .
Department of Agriculture-CAR Agriculturist Crisante Rosario reported during the 3rd quarter full council meeting of the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) that 26,486 El Niño – affected farmers and fisherfolk receive P10,000 each with a total fund allocation of P264,96 million.
The beneficiaries are distributed across the region with 3,462 in Abra; 5,010 each in Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province, and 2,984 in Benguet.
The financial assistance is downloaded to the local government units for distribution to the beneficiaries, So far, the provinces of Apayao and Benguet already completed the payout, Rosario said.
The DA-CAR data shows that around P1.24 billion of production loss due to El Niño were incurred, with corn suffering the most damage at around P902.14 million. The rest of the damages were rice, high value crops and livestock/poultry.
Meanwhile, with the forecast of possible occurrence of La Niña within the year, the CRDRRMC meeting also looked into the council’s La Niña Preparedness Plan, as well as climate and weather outlook for the
Office of Civil Defense Regional Director last quarter and CRDRRMC Chairperson Albert Mogol stressed the importance of maintaining a pro – active stand and continuing strong collaboration among member agencies and other DRRM stakeholders in the region
“Our collective efforts are essential in building resilient Cordillera that can withstand future challenges on disaster risk and climate change while safeguarding our communities. Along with all of the members of the Cordillera RDRRMC, let us continuously strive in the attainment and pursuit of “safer, adaptive and disaster resilient Filipino communities toward sustainable development” for the safety, security, and enjoyment of all Filipinos and Cordillerans in decades to come,” he said. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
