May 3, 2024

El-Nino-affected farmers in Philippines received US$38.2 million worth of aid, intervention

The Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA) said on April 29 it has distributed ₱2.16 billion (US$38.2 million) worth of aid and intervention to local farmers and fishers affected by the El Niño phenomenon.

"This includes the ₱1.065 billion (US$19.1 million) worth of rice farmers financial assistance," said DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa during an inter-agency briefing on El Niño effects.

Farm inputs were also distributed and these included seeds and fertilisers worth ₱638 million (US$11.1 million). There was also an allocation of ₱295 million (US$5 million) for small-scale irrigation projects.

In terms of the Survival and Recovery (SURE) aid loan programme, the DA provided ₱77.5 million (US$1.3 million) to 3,100 farmers while some 7,322 farmers benefited from the indemnification from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) worth ₱68 million (US$1.2 million).

Other interventions included the distribution of livestock animals, provision of alternative livelihood projects for fishers and cloud seeding operations, among others.

De Mesa, meanwhile, said the validated agricultural damage nationwide is now worth ₱4.39 billion (US$76.4 million), with Occidental Mindoro and Palawan provinces being the hardest hit areas.

"Hardest hit (are) Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan at ₱1.7 billion (US$29.5 million) and then followed by Western Visayas at ₱1.02 billion (US$17.7 million)," he said.

To date, 11 regions nationwide are affected including the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao region and Soccsksargen.

- PNA