President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to assist farmers affected by Super Typhoon Julian in Ilocos Norte.
In a situation briefing held in Ilocos Norte Capitol, the President expressed worry over the farm crops damaged by the typhoon.
The typhoon came as the harvest season nears, he said.
“We’ll have to assist our farmers, nawala ‘yung planting season nila. They lost one planting season,” President Marcos told DA Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel.
According to Laurel, 15,000 tons of crops were destroyed by the storm. He expressed the need to “replant as soon as possible.”
Laurel said they have carried out appropriate interventions that are available for distribution to affected farmers.
They include the PhP164.27 million worth of agricultural inputs such as rice, corn, and vegetable seeds from DA regional field offices in Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Central Luzon.
Also, up to Php25,000 loanable amounts are available from the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC). The loan is payable in three years at zero interest.
Indemnification of insured farmers hit by the typhoon is also being done through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC).
“Ongoing sir, ‘yung ating damage assessment and I have instructed PCIC to expedite, hopefully after two to three weeks maka-issue na sila ng indemnification checks to our farmers,” Laurel told the President. | PND
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