Typhoon-hit farmers demand compensation

MANILA, Philippines — A group of farmers went to the Department of Agriculture (DA) office in Quezon City on Wednesday to seek compensation from the government after typhoons devastated their crops.

“The consecutive climate disasters from El Niño to the series of typhoons until Pepito have repeatedly hampered agricultural production, [and] livelihood and destroyed the homes of farmers and fishers,” said Cathy Estavillo, Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women secretary general.

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The group urged the government to provide affected farmers with P25,000 in financial aid as “they need immediate help so that they can prepare for the next planting season,” Estavillo said.

Edina Miradora, a farmer from the municipality of Libmanan, said that after Tropical Storm Enteng and Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, only 20 percent of her rice crops were left. The DA had said it was ready to provide help to affected farmers, but Miradora said she had to buy seeds with her own money since she did not receive any aid from the DA. —Gillian Villanueva