MANILA – Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday assured a sufficient supply of food despite the effects of successive weather disturbances in the country.
“Basta tungkol sa pagkain, sa rami ng pagkain, siguradong may pagkain sa merkado, sa (In terms of food, the volume of food, we’re sure that there’s food in the market, in) shelves, nothing to worry about. I think all the industries are playing their role to provide food for everybody,” he said in an ambush interview.
Tiu Laurel added that shortages of some commodities are just temporary considering challenges in logistics.
“Palagi lang talagang may problema sa bagyo (We always have problems during typhoons), there might be shortages from time-to-time kung anong tinamaan ng bagyo (whichever produce is affected by the typhoon). It’s a logistics matter, but we have stocks,” he said.
Tiu Laurel made the statement as the DA-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operations Center reported 51,728 metric tons of volume loss in agriculture worth PHP2.26 billion on Sept. 9.
The majority of the said damage was recorded in rice production, pegged at PHP1.11 billion, followed by damage in irrigation facilities worth PHP1.08 billion, corn production losses worth PHP42.66 million, high-value crops at PHP26.66 million, cassava at PHP1.98 million, and PHP16,000 worth of losses in livestock and poultry.
The DA is yet to release its agricultural damage report concerning Tropical Storm Ferdie and Tropical Depression Gener.
Earlier, it reported at least PHP23 billion worth of agricultural damage due to the combined effects of the El Niño phenomenon, shearline, northeast monsoon, trough of a low-pressure area, Typhoon Aghon, Super Typhoon Carina, and the southwest monsoon.
Rice buffer stock
The DA chief, meanwhile, highlighted the country’s increased national rice buffer stock under the National Food Authority (NFA).
“In fact, sa rice nga natin (for our rice), in nine years, this is the first time na mayroon tayong (that we have), this is almost 2 million bags na (already). And hopefully, by the end of the year, we will hit stocks of about 3 million bags,” Tiu Laurel said.
He said this is a significant increase from the stock-on-hand last December 2023 which could only last for a day or two.
To date, he said, the NFA aims to secure at least a 15-day national buffer stock with more palay expected during the wet harvest season.
DSWD relief for victims
The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) has so far release over PHP29.9 million in humanitarian assistance to families affected by Tropical Storm (TS) Ferdie and Tropical Depression (TD) Gener.
DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said the DSWD disaster hubs continue to replenish stocks of family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items in preparation for weather disturbances.
“A total of PHP94,476 in cash aid was also provided to 74 beneficiaries under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS),” Dumlao said.
The agency has a stockpile of more than 1.77 million FFPs across the country.
The FFPs are strategically prepositioned in the DSWD Field Offices’ (FOs) warehouses and in the agency’s National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City and at the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, Cebu.
“Currently, the agency has PHP166.53 million Quick Response Fund (QRF) at the DSWD Central Office; PHP29 million available at the affected FOs; and PHP17.03 million available in other DSWD FOs which may support the relief needs of the families affected by the effects of the southwest monsoon, TS Ferdie, and TD Gener,” Dumlao said.
In total, the DSWD maintains more than PHP2.8 billion stockpile and standby funds, she added. (with a report from Zaldy De Layola/PNA)
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