By Manny Piñol
Six days after President Rody Duterte visited the Bicol Region to assess the damage to Agriculture and Infrastructure as a result of Tropical Depression Usman, farmers are now starting to receive interventions from the Department of Agriculture and its line agencies.
DA Region V Executive Director Elena delos Santos reported that the first 5,000 bags of seeds of high yielding rice varieties are now being distributed to farmers groups.
DA has allocated 10,000 bags of hybrid and inbred rice seeds for the Bicol Region and another 5,000 bags for the Samar Provinces.
DA Region IV-B (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) Executive Director Antonio Gerundio also reported that seeds and other interventions are now also being distributed to storm affected farmers.
Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) President Jovy Bernabe reported that checks covering insurance payments worth P160-M are now being prepared for release next week.
Bernabe said around 14,200 farmers in Bicol region would get a total of P116 million while 4,300 farmers in the provinces of Northern and Eastern Samar would be paid P32.5 million. Farmers numbering around 1503 in Quezon and Oriental Mindoro will receive P11.9 million.
“The adjustment of farms and claims validation activities started last week and the checks are now being processed to be distributed to the farmers immediately,” Bernabe said.
The Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) is now preparing the listing and validation of farmers who would be covered by the Survival and Recovery Loans and the Production Lean Easy Access estimated to reach P200-M.
The SURE Loaning Program, started under the Duterte Administration, provides No-Collateral, No-Interest Loans to farmers and fishermen affected by calamities and disasters of up to P25,000 per family to enable them to buy food and recover until the next harvest season.
The PLEA program provides a No-Collateral Production Loan at 6% interest per year to farmers and fishermen who need financial support.
Last week, I promised President Duterte that the release of the support and interventions would be done quickly so farmers could still catch up with the planting season in the First Quarter of 2019.
(Photos of Camarines Sur floods taken by Mayette Tudlas from a helicopter on Thursday, Jan. 3.)
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