With Ilocos Norte having been placed under a state of calamity due to Tropical Storm “Ineng,” the Department of Agriculture will be providing emergency loans to the province’s affected farmers, an official said Sunday.
“We have funds available. We are ready to provide emergency financial assistance under SURE [Survival and Recovery] granting P25,000 at zero-interest and payable up to three years, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a statement.
Typhoon “Ineng,” the ninth to hit the country since January, dumped rain on Ilocos Norte and inundated low-lying areas, leaving two people dead and injuring two and causing damage to agricultural products and livestock before it left for Taiwan.
READ: Two dead as 'Ineng' dumps rain on Ilocos
A state of calamity has been raised in Ilocos Norte due to widespread flooding as the typhoon barreled through Northern Luzon at dawn on Saturday before heading for Batanes.
*Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will prevail over the archipelago due to the southwest monsoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said on Sunday.
In its 4 a.m. forecast, PAGASA said the southwest monsoon will continue to affect Luzon and Western Visayas while thunderstorms will affect the rest of the country.
PAGASA warned the public against possible flash floods or landslides due to light to moderate and sometimes heavy rain.
Dar said the DA-Agricultural Credit Policy Council will disburse the loans through the Nueva Segovia Cooperative.
The SURE loan assistance, which is being implemented by the DA-ACPC, aims to support the government’s goal of helping agricultural households in the calamity-affected areas regain their capacity to earn a living and to provide immediate relief to small farmers and fishermen through loan and emergency assistance packages.
Ilocos Norte was placed under a state of calamity by the Sangguniang Panglalawigan after the tropical storm left P111 million worth of damage to agriculture and infrastructure as of Saturday.