Legazpi City, Albay—President Marcos on Friday led a large-scale distribution of government aid to the farmers and fisherfolk in Bicol, as well as Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA) and electronic copies of land titles (e-titles) to multiple agrarian reform beneficiaries.
The El Niño weather phenomenon took a huge toll on the agriculture industry with total damage estimated at P532.87-million across 11,252 hectares of farmlands in the region, affecting 80,479 families.
In response, Malacañang organized the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF) initiative to extend P162-million in direct financial support broken down as follows:
· P10.28-million to Camarines Norte
· P50-million to Camarines Sur
· P41.55 million to Albay
· P10.23 million to Catanduanes
· P36.79 million to Masbate
· P13-million to Sorsogon
“We will make sure that every aid we distribute will reach those who need it the most. My only request to our beneficiaries is to take advantage of this opportunity to rise up and start anew,” President Marcos said during a ceremonial turnover held at the Albay Astrodome.
Speaker Martin Romualdez donated five kilos of rice to each family, according to the President. The attached agencies of the Department of Agriculture (DA) as well as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bicol also contributed to the aid package.
Support for the fisherfolk courtesy of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) reached P840,000, including 10 units of 18-foot fiber fishing boats with 7.5HP gasoline engines and accessories, which reportedly cost P60,000 each, and 20 units of bottom set gillnets at P12,000 each.
Seaweed farmers also received cash assistance of P10,000 each and 30,000 bangus (milkfish) fingerlings. Other DA-attached agencies contributed agricultural inputs and farming equipment to beneficiaries.
DSWD-Bicol, meanwhile, gave P10,000 to approximately 5,000 farmers, fishermen and their families through its Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP). The distribution was coursed through the respective governors of each Bicol province represented in the gathering.
The government also provided P26.25 million in other forms of aid and prepositioned nearly 40,000 family food packs worth P27.22 million.
President Marcos also distributed 2,115 land ownership certificates to 1,965 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and handed over 617 farm machinery worth P20.66 million.
Additionally, eight farm-to-market roads worth P193 million were turned over to local governments, with nine more projects worth P675 million in progress.
In preparation for the approaching La Niña season, President Marcos also called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to speed up the construction of remaining flood control projects in the Bicol region.
He also assured the Bicolano community of ongoing and future port projects crucial for transporting agricultural goods, including those in Albay, Sorsogon, and Catanduanes provinces.