DSWD ready to extend aid to drought-hit farmers in Cagayan

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is getting ready to immediately distribute financial assistance to farmers in Cagayan, which is under a state of calamity due to the severe drought and high fuel prices.

In a statement, DSWD spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said they are ready to provide cash aid to affected farmers to help them recover from crop losses caused by prolonged dry conditions.

Dumlao of the agency’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRGM) said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed them to focus on the needs of farmers in the Cagayan Valley affected by the dry spell.

“Kaya agaran ding ipinag-utos ni Secretary Rex Gatchalian na makipagpulong sa Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Cagayan para alamin ang kinakailangan nilang tulong para maibsan ang epekto nitong dry spell sa ating mga magsasaka,” Dumlao said on Wednesday.

(That is why Secretary Rex Gatchalian immediately ordered that we meet with the Cagayan provincial government to find out what help they need to ease the effects of the dry spell on our farmers.)

On Tuesday, DSWD Field Office 2 – Cagayan Valley regional director Lucia Suyu-Alan led a meeting with Cagayan provincial government officials to discuss the DSWD’s programs and services available to affected farmers, aside from financial assistance.

On April 20, the Cagayan provincial government declared a state of calamity due to the severe impact of the drought on the agriculture sector and recent energy challenges.

The Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said agricultural damage in the province has reached over P10.29 billion, affecting thousands of farmers and fisherfolk.

In Tuao, Cagayan, 1,893 rice farmers and 628 corn farmers were affected, with losses reaching P3.76 million due to severe drought and water shortage.

With the declaration of a state of calamity, the Cagayan provincial government is authorized to use its calamity fund for relief assistance, restoration of essential services, and rehabilitation.

In Isabela province in Cagayan Valley, more than 15,000 corn farmers so far have received P10,125 each in emergency cash transfer (ECT) from the DSWD.

The ECT is an adaptive strategy intended to provide unconditional cash assistance to disaster-affected families to aid in their recovery. — JMA, GMA News