NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines — A total of 1,192 farmers and farmworkers affected by a pest infestation in Toboso, Negros Occidental received financial assistance worth Php 10,325 each from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to help them recover from agricultural losses.
The assistance was distributed on November 4 under the government’s UPLIFT Assistance program through its Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) initiative for disaster victims.
According to the DSWD, the beneficiaries were affected by an infestation of Red-Striped Soft Scale Insects (RSSI), which damaged agricultural crops and disrupted the livelihoods of farming communities in the municipality.
The infestation has posed challenges to farmers and agricultural workers who depend on crop production for their daily income.
To help ease their financial burden, the government provided direct cash assistance to qualified beneficiaries, with the total distribution amounting to approximately Php 12.31 million.
The financial support is intended to help affected families meet their immediate needs while coping with the economic impact of the crop damage.
The DSWD said the assistance was provided in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to extend support to farmers and farmworkers affected by disasters and other emergencies.
Through the UPLIFT Emergency Cash Transfer program, the government aims to provide temporary financial relief to vulnerable households experiencing livelihood disruptions caused by calamities and agricultural emergencies.
The assistance is also expected to help farming families manage essential household expenses as they work toward recovering from the infestation’s effects.
The distribution forms part of the DSWD’s continuing efforts to assist disaster-affected communities, particularly those whose primary sources of income depend on agriculture.
