By Aileen Lor
Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama, spokesperson for Task Force El Niño, reported that 273 cities and municipalities countrywide had declared a state of calamity, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Villarama said that the administration’s focus is to know the fishermen, farmers, and their families needs and that help is visible to them.
The government is providing immediate cash assistance to impacted areas through the Office of the President, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to rehabilitate the impacted areas- cropland and in the aquaculture sector.
As of the end of April, the DA has given P2.18 billion in assistance to farmers and fishers, with the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) receiving the most funds at PHP1.06 billion.
Other interventions include P294.46 million for irrigation projects, P77.50 million for a Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan, P67.93 million for indemnification or insurance benefits for farmers, P65.35 million for composting facilities, P8.99 million for marine machinery and equipment, P8 million for rice machinery and equipment, P5.19 million for coconut seedlings, 66,039 indigenous animals, 616 water pumps, and 111 in different alternatives.
