Agri department to release P2.2B for farmers in Region II hit by typhoons

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to release some P2.2-billion worth of assistance to farmers in Region II, among the hard-hit areas of Typhoon Ulysses (international name: Vamco), where towns and municipalities were submerged since Friday.

In a briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the assistance to farmers will include rice, rice seeds, corn seeds, fertilizers, seedling trays, poultry goods, and ducks, among others, with the certificates scheduled to be released Sunday, November 15.

Broken down, the amount includes P846 million allocated for Cagayan, P986 million for Isabela, P148 million for Nueva Vizcaya, and P18 million for the Quirino Bridge, with P41 million from the National Food Authority (NFA).

"The summary would be, Mister President, we are giving out today all these agricultural inputs — plus the rice — as our ayuda dito sa Region 2 is P2.2 billion," said Dar.

Ulysses hit the country last week, killing at least 67 and leaving damage worth P1.19 billion in terms of agriculture, and P469.7 million in terms of infrastructure.

The typhoon exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday morning, but heavy rains and the release of water from the Magat Dam and other reservoirs brought about massive flooding in Cagayan and Isabela.

Both Cagayan and Isabela have already been placed under state of calamity. —KG, GMA News