By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has assured the Filipinos that the government is ready to assist at all times, be it in times of drought or the looming rainy season.
Speaking at the distribution of assistance to farmers, fisherfolk and other beneficiaries affected by extreme drought in Iligan City on Thursday, Marcos said no region or province would be left behind in the provision of government aid as the country continues to experience the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon.
“Narito po ang inyong pamahalaan sa lahat ng oras. Sa panahon ng tagtuyot at paparating na tag-ulan, handa po kaming umagapay sa inyong lahat,” Marcos said.
“Sa ilalim ng Bagong Pilipinas, walang manlalamang at walang malalamangan. Walang mang-iiwan at walang maiiwanan. Lahat po tayo ay sabay-sabay na hahakbang tungo sa mas maunlad na kinabukasan,” he added.
Marcos personally handed out assistance, including P10,000 financial aid from the Office of the President to select beneficiaries.
He also provided P10.5 million in Presidential assistance to the local government of Iligan City, while the provincial governments of Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental received P13.9 million and P24.3 million, respectively.
Moreover, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed P10,000 each to 9,588 select beneficiaries composed of farmers, fisherfolk, and families.
Additionally, the Office of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez distributed five kilograms of rice to each attendee.
This is the fourth time the President personally led the provision of government assistance to areas severely affected by El Niño.
Service under the sun
Marcos explained that he wanted to deliver the assistance personally to affected Filipinos to witness their situation and hear their grievances.
At one point in his speech, the President even joked that his wife, First Lady Liza Marcos-Araneta, had already noticed the change in his complexion and the sunburns he got from going around the country to deliver the assistance.
“Sinusuyod natin ang buong kapuluan upang maghatid ng tulong sa mga napinsala ng matinding tag-init at tagtuyot dahil sa nangyayaring El Niño, kaya napansin ng aking maybahay nagka-sunburn na daw ako sa kakabigay ng tulong pero wala tayo magagawa,” Marcos said.
“Ito talaga mga kulay ng Ilokano, sanay sa mabilad sa araw lalo na kung ito ay para magsilbi sa taumbayan, para sa inyo,” he added.
The weather bureau earlier reported that El Niño continues to weaken and the country is now transitioning to neutral conditions and eventually to La Niña or the rainy season.
NorMin as leading agri hub
In the same speech, the Chief Executive also shared his administration’s plan to make Northern Mindanao region (Region X) a leading agricultural hub in the country.
He said the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has already laid out the blueprint for the region’s continued prosperity, citing the Northern Mindanao Regional Development Plan 2023-2028.
“Hangad po nito na gawing ‘globally competitive’ at ‘leading agricultural hub,’ ‘major industrial, tourism, trade center’ ang buong Region X,” he said.
The President, likewise, mentioned some of the ongoing infrastructure projects in Northern Mindanao that will usher in the region’s positive transformation, including the Panguil Bay Bridge, the Iligan City Coastal Bypass Road, and rehabilitation and development of airports in Ozamiz, Camiguin, Bukidnon, Lumbia in Cagayan De Oro, and Laguindingan in Misamis Oriental.