President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Agriculture (DA) to immediately help farmers and fisherfolk affected by Typhoon Carina and Habagat in Central Luzon.
According to the President, farmers in the province must be assisted so they can catch up for this year’s cropping season.
President Marcos issued the directive as he convened the local chief executives of the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, and Pampanga for a situation briefing in Malolos City on Saturday.
“So ang instruction ko sa DA will be to try to… para habulin ‘yung season, planting season dahil para hindi naman mawalan ng hanapbuhay ‘yung ating mga farmer,” the President said.
“Sa infra tingnan na lang natin, we have to make the assessment medyo… dahil tumagal na, it’s been three days, almost four days. Puwede nang mag-assess both in the agri side, the infra side at saka lahat ng ibang pangangailangan pa,” he stated.
The government is shifting from the rescue to the relief phase before going to the rehabilitation stage, the President said, which is why a thorough assessment is necessary.
According to the President, the region’s livestock sector can still catch up. The DA has to determine priority areas.
After assessment, the DA could provide farmers, fisherfolk, and raisers with seedlings, fingerlings, and brood sows for recovery. “We will work on that, that’s the priority ngayon,” Marcos said.
Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando said damages, particularly in agriculture and fisheries, amounted to PhP103.7 million. Also affected were palay, vegetables, corn, plantation crops, aquaculture, capture fisheries, livestock, and poultry.
Seventeen Bulacan LGUs were severely affected by the weather disturbances.
Two cities—Meycauayan and Malolos—and eight municipalities—Marilao, Calumpit, Santa Maria, Obando, Hagonoy, Guiguinto, and Balagtas—experienced severe flooding, Fernando said. He added that 13,021 families, or 48,000 individuals, were relocated to 318 evacuation centers.
As of Friday afternoon, 492,932 families were affected in the province, Fernando reported. There were two recorded casualties. PND
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