DSWD: P350M cash aid for 34k Isabela corn farmers hit by dry spell

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday said it has released over P350 million in emergency cash aid to over 34,000 corn farmers in Isabela whose crops were hit by the dry spell.

In a statement, the DSWD said it has extended P350.22 million in Emergency Cash Assistance (ECT) to 34,590 corn farmers from the towns of Angadanan, Burgos, Cordon, Quezon, Reina Mercedes, Roxas, San Guillermo, and San Manuel.

The agency’s ECT program seeks to help farmers cope with the prolonged drought that caused significant damage to crops and their livelihoods.

The ECT payout activities are ongoing to ensure that no farmer affected by the dry spell will be left unaided.

“Our priority is to provide immediate financial relief to our farmers so they can procure necessary agricultural inputs and resume their farming activities despite the challenges brought by the dry spell,” said DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG).

“We understand that losing almost an entire harvest is devastating for our agricultural sector, which is why we are fast-tracking these cash transfers to help them,” she added.

Isabela declared a state of calamity on March 18 due to the prolonged dry spell that severely affected agricultural production and threatened livelihoods across the province.

The DSWD Field Office 2 – Cagayan Valley will also reach out to farmers in Cagayan and provide P321.79 million in cash aid to 31,782 farmer-beneficiaries next week. — JMA, GMA News