President Marcos assured farmers, fisherfolk, and their families in Calbayog City, Samar that his administration recognizes the challenges they face in the agricultural industry and is ready to help address these problems.
On Thursday, July 4, Marcos distributed financial assistance to farmers, fisherfolk, and their families in Calbayog City amid the impact of the drought and dry season brought by the El Niño phenomenon.
“Mga kababayan, nauunawaan po namin [ang] hamon na kinakaharap ninyo araw-araw, lalo [na] sa sektor ng agrikultura at sa pangingisda na siyang haligi ng ekonomiya ng Samar (My fellow countrymen, we understand the challenges you face daily, especially in the agriculture and fisheries sector, which is the foundation of the economy in Samar),” he said.
The President shared that he wanted to personally visit the province, so he can extend financial assistance to those affected by El Niño, which he revealed numbered to 3,000 families in three municipalities in Samar and Eastern Samar.
“Dahil po riyan, narito ang inyong pamahalaan upang iparamdam ang aming suporta sa inyo na walang-pagod na nagsisikap upang matiyak na mayroong pagkain sa hapag [ang]bawat pamilyang Pilipino (Because of that, your government is here to give support to you who work tirelessly to ensure that each Filipino family has food on the table),” Marcos added.
“Kayo po na mga magsasaka at mangingisda, kayo po ay ang tunay na bayani ng ating bansa, at nararapat lamang na bigyang-pugay at suportahan namin ang inyong sipag at ang inyong galing (Farmers and fisherfolk, you are the true heroes of our country, and your hard work and excellence rightfully deserve our honor and support).”
3 Samar provinces get P95-M aid
Meanwhile, Marcos announced that his administration—from the Office of the President (OP) to relevant agencies—has provided a total of P95 million worth of aid to three provinces in Samar.
He said that the OP provided P10,000 each to farmers, fisherfolk, and select families in Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar.
This is on top of the P35 million credit fund given by the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Agricultural Credit Policy Council to the Northern Samar Multi-Purpose Cooperative and the Rural Bank of Calbayog City, as well as the P5.08 million from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for 161 beneficiaries under the Integrated Livelihood Program and P650,000 for 85 participants of the Government Internship Program.
DOLE also provided P6 million under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program for more than 1,500 beneficiaries in Almagro, Gandara, and Tagapul-an.
According to the Chief Executive, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) also distributed motorized boats and other equipment to fishermen, as well as the Shallow Water Payao Systems under the Special Area for Agricultural Development.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), on the other hand, will provide entrust the Shared Service Facilities to the Samar Multi-Purpose Cooperative to help dairy farmers in their livelihoods.
Likewise, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has stepped in to provide starter toolkits to 50 scholars, and more than P300,000 for training support.