The restoration of the agricultural sector in Typhoon Carina-hit Bataan, Pampanga, and Bulacan will be the priority of the Marcos administration to ensure harvest and food security, President Marcos said on Saturday, July 27.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. conducts an aerial inspection of typhoon-hit areas in Central Luzon on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)
The President did an aerial inspection of the three Central Luzon provinces to personally see the extent of the damages brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon and Super Typhoon Carina to the agricultural sector there.
“The three governors agree that agriculture muna ang aayusin natin (that will fix agriculture first),” he said during a situation briefing held at the Bulacan Provincial capitol after the inspection.
“So, mamadaliin natin yan. Iyan ang susunod na gawin ko. Para mahabol ‘yung season. Mahirap naman dahil nagkabagyo walang ani (we will do that quickly. That’s what I’ll do next. For the season to catch up. It will be difficult to have harvest because of the typhoon),” the Chief Executive added.
Although he assured that “we are all right” in the short term, Marcos underscored the need for long-term solutions.
“Kagaya ng sabi ninyo nagsisimula pa lang magtanim kaya mahahabol pa natin ang planting season (As you said, they’re just starting to plant so we can still catch up with the planting season),” the President said.
The provincial governments of Bulacan, Bataan and Pampanga have already placed their respective provinces under a state of calamity because of the extensive damages brought by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon to the lives and livelihoods of the residents and the various sectors there.
A state of calamity will allow the provinces to access additional funds, as well as impose a price freeze on basic goods.
Based on latest reports, Bulacan lost P103 million and P789 million in its agriculture and infrastructure sectors, respectively, while more than 400,000 families or one million individuals were affected.
Some 7,571 hectares of agricultural land, including 4,494 farmers throughout the province, were affected in Pampanga.
In Bataan, a total of P92.92 million was recorded in agricultural losses, while 208,371 families from 237 flooded barangays were badly affected.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) also announced that the agricultural damage from Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon already reached P400 million, and also affected some 21,785 farmers in Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol region, Western and Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, and Caraga.