President Marcos assured the public that the government is always ready to help them as he turned over P100 million in check assistance to the provincial governments of Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato to assist the farmers, fisherfolk, and their families who were severely affected by the El Niño phenomenon.

The provincial governments each received P50 million from the President during the distribution of assistance in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat on Friday morning, May 10.

In his speech, the President said the funds came from the Office of the President (OP) and each beneficiary would receive P10,000. This means there would be 10,000 beneficiaries from both provinces.

According to Marcos, his visit to Sultan Kudarat aimed to ensure that the beneficiaries would get the assistance allotted to them. He hoped they would use the cash aid to expedite their recovery from the effects of El Niño.

He likewise told them the government is always ready to assist those needing government support.

"Hindi lang po ito minsanan po na pagbigay ng tulong. Patuloy po ito (This is not a continuous endeavor)," Marcos said.

"Ito'y isang bahagi lamang ng malawakang programa upang tiyakin na ang mga nasalanta, ang mga naging biktima, ang mga nahihirapan dahil sa tagtuyot na dala ng El Niño ay patuloy na nasususportahan (This is a part of a bigger program that aims to ensure that all those affected by the drought brought by the El Niño are getting the support they need)," he added.

The Chief Executive assured the public that the government would do everything to assist the farmers and fisherfolk affected by the dry spell.

"Hindi po namin kayo kinakalimutan. Lagi kaming nakabantay sa inyong kalagayan (We have not forgotten you. We are always monitoring your situation)," he said.

"Asahan ninyo, lahat ng kayang gawin ng inyong pamahalaan ay gagawin upang maging mas maginhawa ang inyong mga buhay (Rest assured that we will do what we can to make your lives more comfortable)," he added.

More assistance

According to President Marcos, the assistance from the Office of the President is on top of the other financial support the beneficiaries would be getting from different agencies.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) would distribute P5,000 to farmers under the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF) in addition to seeds, fertilizer, pumping equipment, and other pieces of machinery.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), would hand over P10,000 under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis (AICS) program. This is in addition to the food packs given to those affected by the extreme drought.

A total of 583 beneficiaries, meanwhile, would get around P4,000 from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) under its Tulong Paghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.

The Department of Trade Industry (DTI) is set to give grant certificates worth P940,000 to three farmers' groups, while the Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA) would distribute 21 livelihood toolkits and allowance for its scholars.

The office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez gave away five kilos of rice to those who attended the distribution of assistance.