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The Department of Agriculture (DA) has provided at least PHP1.08 billion in aid to farmers affected by the El Niño phenomenon, according to the agency's latest report.
Executive Order (EO) No. 53 aims to streamline, reactivate, and reconstitute old El Niño task forces under EO No. 16 (s. 2001) and Memorandum Order No. 38 (s. 2019). I Photo: Philippine Information Agency
The impact of El Niño has affected about 54,203 farmers nationwide.
The total value of damage caused by El Niño has reached PHP2.64 billion. Rice was the most affected crop, with damages estimated at PHP1.72 billion, followed by corn at PHP591.74 million, high-value crops at PHP326.68 million, and livestock and poultry at PHP59,600.
Of the aid provided, PHP1.06 billion was allocated for financial assistance in Cagayan Valley and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), as reported by the DA's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
Additionally, the DA distributed PHP17.65 million worth of mung beans, hybrid rice seeds, corn seeds, and fertilizers, primarily in the Ilocos Region and Western Visayas.
Hybrid rice seeds worth PHP7.87 million and fertilizers worth PHP7.63 million were provided to non-vulnerable areas in Western Visayas. In the Ilocos Region, corn seeds worth PHP1.16 million were distributed to maximize production and compensate for losses.
Other interventions included cloud seeding operations, distribution of 570 water pumps, improvement of irrigation canals and water flows, distribution of native animals, and diversified alternative livelihood technologies.
The DA also allocated PHP10.20 million worth of indemnification grants.
To address the situation, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order (EO) No. 53 in January, which aims to streamline, reactivate, and reconstitute old El Niño task forces under EO No. 16 (s. 2001) and Memorandum Order No. 38 (s. 2019).
The task force is tasked with developing a comprehensive disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan and implementing systematic interventions to alleviate the effects of disasters and aid affected Filipinos.
