Ivy Marie Mangadlao
June 21, 2024
9:26 am
BUTUAN CITY (MindaNews / 21 June) – The agriculture sector in the Caraga Region has suffered around 700 million pesos in losses due to the El Niño phenomenon, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during his visit to the region Thursday.
Marcos led the distribution of various forms of assistance to farmers, fishermen, and families in Butuan City and Tandag City in Surigao del Sur affected by the El Niño that severely hit the region.
Ten beneficiaries from Butuan City and 10 others from every province of the region received P10,000 each.
In addition, Marcos handed over monetary support to the city government of Butuan and the provincial governments amounting to 158.15 million pesos.
Caraga comprises the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur, and Butuan City, the regional center.
Marcos first went to the Surigao del Sur Sports Complex in Tandag to assist beneficiaries from Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur.
He then flew to the Butuan City Sports Complex, where beneficiaries from the city and the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, and Dinagat Island gathered.
Marcos said nearly 12,000 farmers across the region have been impacted by the El Niño.
In Butuan, the President mentioned in his speech the water crisis in the city due to the El Niño, which led to the declaration of a state of calamity.
“According to our data, 15 percent of your total population and 30 percent of livelihoods have been affected. It is estimated that 3,700 farmers and fisherfolk have been severely impacted by El Niño,” he said.
Butuan Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada noted that the extreme heat has severely impacted the city, with farmers and fisherfolk being the hardest hit.
“They are the ones most affected by the El Niño phenomenon. The prolonged heat wave has put our agricultural and fishing communities at risk and worsened water scarcity,” Lagnada said.
The mayor added that the agriculture and fishery sectors are working hard to recover from the impact of lost crops and decreased catches caused by the adverse climatic conditions.
Marcos also led the turnover of farm machinery and equipment to beneficiaries from various agencies.
Gavino Marquilla Jr., president of the Corn Cluster Area Farmers Association, said in an interview with Radio Television Malacañang that he is one of the affected farmers who has endured the effects of El Niño and is thankful for the aid given to the farmers.
“We will wholeheartedly accept and take care of what we will receive now because that is a big help to us farmers. We take care of every equipment given to us because that’s our livelihood,” Marquilla said.
Various government agencies were also present during the distribution, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which provided aid to beneficiaries under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.
“We believe that caring for our farmers and fishermen in times like these is the key to recovery and contributing to the shaping of a more prosperous and progressive Philippines,” Marcos said. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao/MindaNews)
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