An estimated ₱10.5 million-worth of damage in the agriculture sector has been left behind by the onslaught of Typhoon Vicky.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar pointed out that this is only the initial assessment for parts of Mindanao that where hit the hardest. He assured that there is enough supply of rice in the country since farmers were able to do their harvest beforehand.
“Mayroon tayong sapat na bigas.. Mayroon pa rin na-imbentaryo tayo na good for three months. Wala pong dapat ipangamba tungkol sa bigas (We have enough supply of rice. We have an inventory good enough for three months. There is nothing to worry about when it comes to rice,” Sec. Dar guaranteed.
He made it certain that affected farmers will be given assistance including the distribution of seeds for planting. They will also be under the different programs of the Department of Agriculture.
“Mayroon din kaming inihahanda, ‘yung identification ng mga agri damages doon sa mga naka-register at nagpa-enroll doon sa Philippine Crop Insurance System (We also prepared something, the identification of agri damages for those who were able to register and enroll with the Philippine Crop Insurance System,” the agriculture secretary said.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Rick Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) confirmed that the government has enough funds for residents affected by the typhoon despite the series of calamities that hit the country.
“Sapat pa naman ‘yung resources natin…May combination naman ang ating DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development) at OCD [Office of Civil Defense] para sa kaukulang augmentation sakaling kinakailangan (Our resources are sufficient… There is the combination of the DSWD and OCD for proper augmentation in case there is a need for it),” NDRRMC Executive Director Usec. Ricardo Jalad maintained.
For its part, the DSWD has been continuously coordinating with local governments of areas affected by Typhoon Vicky for the delivery of aid.
“Nasa mahigit 8k na pamilya na o mahigit 36k individuals ang ating natutulungan.. nasa 149 barangay po. Ito ay patuloy po itong ginagawa sa Regions 7, 8, 11 at Caraga. Sila po ‘yung mga naapektuhan ng mabigat (Around 8 thousand families or 36 thousand individuals are being assisted in 149 barangays. This is ongoing in Regions 7, 8, 11 and Caraga. They are those heavily affected),” DSWD Usec Glen Paje disclosed. – Report from Kenneth Paciente
