By Pearl Gumapos
Typhoon Maring left roughly P2 billion worth of agricultural loss according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) Saturday, Oct. 16.
However, the DA is doing all it can to help affected agricultural workers.
“As our quick response, mayroon po tayong binhi na ibibigay sa kanila para sa rice, sa corn. Umaabot iyan sa 168,000 para matulungan sila sa pagtanim nila,” DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said during a Laging Handa public briefing.
Evangelista said the DA also has Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) for those who need capital.
The ACPC was created to help synchronize all credit policies and programs and to review and evaluate the “economic soundness” of ongoing and proposed agricultural credit programs.
ACPC was also tasked to undertake measures to increase its funds base and adopt other liquidity interest stabilization and risk cover mechanisms for its various financing programs.
Meanwhile, PCIC is the implementing agency of the government’s agricultural insurance program.
Its main mandate is to provide insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases, and pest infestations of their rice and corn crops as well as other crops.
“But, initially, ang aming binibilisan para mapa-disburse na po at mabigay sa mga kababayang magsasaka at mangingisda ay iyong ating mga binhi at gamot para sa kanilang mga livestock. Pati mga rice farmers, mayroon tayong fertilizers saka seeds na ipamimigay,” she said. – bny
