November 21, 2013

 

 

The Philippine's Department of Agriculture (DA) has set up interventions intended to stabilise markets, provide seeds for early recovery of crops and support the municipal fishery sector of the Eastern Visayas Region, after the wrath of super typhoon Yolanda.

 

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala has instructed concerned DA officials to immediately transport frozen chicken, potatoes and other vegetables from Manila and Baguio to Tacloban using three refrigerated vans from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Three more vans, from the Philippine Fisheries and Development Authority will load and deliver food items from Albay in Region V to Tacloban and neighbouring areas.

 

He added that they will also be utilising all available closed vans of the department and its attached agencies to deliver eggs and other dry food items.

 

The Secretary has also instructed BFAR Director Asis Perez to deploy a 1,200-tonner vessel, currently anchored in Cagayan de Oro (CDO), to deliver food items to the Region, while smaller ships will ferry food items to smaller islands.

 

The Department is set to implement market mechanisms to move food items from the production areas to affected communities via the Barangay Food Terminal and local government food trading centres. Functional food warehouses will also be utilised for food stocking.

 

Big market players such as the San Miguel Corporation in CDO will also be engaged to supply poultry products to affected areas, Alcala said.

 

In an effort to augment rice stocks in areas severely damaged by the super typhoon, the National Food Authority in Region VII will begin to supply rice to parts of the region.

 

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has committed 300 chains saw to be used for clearing operations. A portable saw-mill will also be moved to the PCA yard in Tacloban.

 

Aside from the intercessions set to address the immediate needs of the local residents, DA will be distributing rice, corn and vegetable seeds such as pechay, mustasa, upland kangkong, and okra seeds under the Early Recovery Programme of the government to enable a lasting livelihood in the future.

 

To enable fishers to catch various marine species for consumption and even to sell, Alcala announced the immediate suspension of the closed season in the Visayas and Palawan until December 1, 2013.

 

About 1,300 fishing boats, equipped with five-horse power engine, 4,000 fishing nets will be constructed and divided to affected families. The Department is also set to position a total of 200 payaos amounting to PHP40 million (US$913,000) to aid affected municipal fishermen. Payao, a floating artificial reef, is a fishing device used for catching high value fish species.