DA AWARDS P176 MILLION WORTH OF INTERVENTIONS TO TYPHOON-ULYSSES-AFFECTED BULAKEÑO FARMERS
Pulilan, Bulacan—The Department of Agriculture led by Secretary William D. Dar together with Regional Executive Director Crispulo G. Bautista, Jr. and other key officials visited Bulacan to assess the agriculture damages on the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses on November 13.
As of press time, based on DA Bulletin No. 9, the total damage and losses incurred due to Severe Tropical Storm “ULYSSES” is now at PhP 969.8 M affecting 4”,519 farmers and 51,241 hectares of agricultural areas. Volume of production loss is at 58,897 metric tons. The affected commodities include rice, corn, high value crops, fisheries, and livestock in Cordillera Autonomous Region, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and Bicol Region.
“Kung hindi tayo nagbigay ng advisory sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda, mas lalaki ang dagok sa agrikultura.” Sec Dar said.
With this, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office III, awarded a total amount of Php 176-million worth of intervention and assistance to the Bulakeño farmers affected by Typhoon Ulysses, which made its landfall on November 12.
Under the Rice Resiliency Project (RRP 2), a total of 33,018 bags of seeds were awarded to Bulacan, break down as: 15,000 bags of Hybrid Rice Seeds, 15,100 bags RCEF Certified Seeds, and 2,918 bags Expanded Inbred Certified Seeds.
Moreover, 81,036 bags of fertilizers: 45,000 bags fertilizer for Hybrid, 30,200 bags fertilizers for RCEF, and 5,836 bags fertilizer for expanded inbred.
Sec Dar assured that the government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), will provide support to enable the agriculture sector to bounce back from the losses of the inclement weather conditions that has disrupted production since October.
On the report of Provincial Agriculturist Gigi Carrillo about 10,000-12,000 hectares of rice, in their maturity stage, has been submerged in water.
Secretary Dar urged the local rice farmers to plant early for the dry cropping season to evade the challenges of typhoons.
“Start planting by the second week of December, so you can harvest earlier next year,” Dar said.
“Huwag po tayong mangamba at mag-panic sa bansa. Sinisigurado po nating may sapat na bigas sa bansa. We still have about good for 85 to 94 days rice inventory. Ganoon po kasipag ang ating mga magsasaka at pati na rin ang mga sub-sector sa agrikultura.” He added.
The Secretary also announced that non-rice farmers including producers of corn, highland vegetables, sugarcane, coconut, and fishermen will receive P5,000 in cash and food assistance, from the P4.5 billion budget under the “Bayanihan Act 2”.
Meanwhile, Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando thanks the agri chief to his quick response to the needs of the farmers in the province.###
Writer: Nica Aila Urma
Photographer: Rica Salas/Alan Jay Jacalan