Rome, Italy – Six days after Director General Jose Graziano da Silva of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued a commitment to support the Philippine Government in the rehabilitation of conflict-stricken Marawi City and Lanao del Sur, senior officials of the Organization met with the Philippine Delegation yesterday to prepare the rehabilitation program for the area.
In the afternoon session of the 40th Session of the FAO Conference here in Rome, I had to relinquish the Chairmanship of the Conference to Vice Chairperson Thomas Duffy of the United States of America to meet with three senior FAO officials involved in Emergency and Rehabilitation in the office provided to the Philippine delegation by the FAO.
In the meeting with the FAO officials, I was joined by Undersecretary for Planning Segfredo Serrano, Cong. Jose Panganiban, Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture of Congress and Agriculture Attache Lupiño Lazaro.
Two of the three senior officials, Kundavi Kadiresan and Dominique Burgeon, were directly involved in the rehabilitation and assistance efforts of FAO to the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) and are also familiar with the situation in Mindanao.
Among the issues discussed yesterday were the synchorinization of efforts between the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the FAO in implementing the rehabilitation program for agriculture and fisheries in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur.
The plans included the identification of farmers and fishermen who will be included in the program, the geo-tagging of their farmers and fishing grounds in Lake Lanao, the provision of seeds and farm inputs and support funds for livelihood programs.
Also discussed yesterday was the implementation of Project BASIL or Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa which involves the seeding of the 35,000-hectare Lake Lanao with fingerlings of indigenous and non-invasive fish species so that by November to December this year, Maranaw fishermen could start harvesting the fish.
Fiberglass fishing boats will also be provided to the fishermen of the Lake while women will be taught on how to process and pack the fish catch to generate added value.
The Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) has readied the SURE Loan Program for farmers and fisher folks who are victims of calamities while the Philippine Crop Insurance Program (PCIP) will assess the damage and provide insurance coverages.
The Master Plan for the Rehabilitation of Marawi City and Lanao del Sur will be finalised when I get back to the Philippines next week.
Copies of the Master Plan for Agriculture and Fisheries Rehabilitation will be submitted to President Rody Duterte to update him on the work of the DAF and support organisations in ensuring that the people of Marawi City and Lanao del Sur will be able to recover immediately. | via DA Sec Manny Piñol
