Senatorial Candidate Loren Legarda speaks before Nueva Ecijanos during UniTeam’s campaign sortie in Nueva Ecija on Tuesday, March 15.
MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial candidate Loren Legarda visited Nueva Ecija with the assurance of agricultural and livelihood assistance for the province once re-elected.
“Sa ilang beses kong pagtakbo sa Senado mula 1998, hinding-hindi ako binigo ng mga taga Nueva Ecija,” she said during the UniTeam’s campaign sortie in Nueva Ecija on Tuesday.
“Kaya siniguro ko din na hindi kayo mabibigo sa akin.”
During her term as the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Legarda has allotted funds under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the provision of DOLE Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), community-based assistance that provides emergency employment, for Nueva Ecija province, Gapan and Cabanatuan City, and municipalities of General Tinio, Talavera, Peñaranda.
She also allocated a budget for the DOLE Pangkabuhayan program for the provincial government of Nueva Ecija.
Legarda also puts premium on assistance and protective services through the DSWD Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) by allocating funds to each local government of Gapan City and municipalities of Peñaranda and Licab.
As an advocate for agricultural development in the Philippines, Legarda has also emphasized the importance of providing necessary support for agriculture, especially in Nueva Ecija, the biggest rice producer of Central Luzon.
“The people of Nueva Ecija are among those who put food on our tables, so it is only right that your basic agricultural needs are met,” she said.
“As I hopefully return to the Senate, I will ensure that our agriculture sector will be given priority not only in terms of reviewing current agriculture-related legislation but also in terms of ensuring that government programs are also sufficiently funded.”
Under the 2017 General Appropriations Act, farmers received P2-billion subsidy of irrigation service fees through the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and P2.6 billion under GAA 2018 for the same program. In February of the same year, the Free Irrigation Service to Small Farmers Act, which Legarda co-authored, was enacted.
The three-term Senator has reiterated her commitment to provide more employment and livelihood opportunities not only for the people of Nueva Ecija but also for the whole country as Filipino families need economic empowerment during pandemic recovery.
“With the pandemic and all the challenges we are facing – inflation, climate change, among others, we need to make Filipinos more self-sufficient, such as giving them easier access to employment and livelihood opportunities,” she said.
“With this, we not only help them to become financially independent but also help our country achieve green and sustainable pandemic recovery.”
Senatorial Candidate Loren Legarda speaks before Nueva Ecijanos during UniTeam’s campaign sortie in Nueva Ecija on Tuesday, March 15.