DBM releases P155.8 million to rehabilitate coconut trees in Mindanao

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Monday that it has released P155.8 million for the rehabilitation of coconut trees damaged by Typhoon “Pablo” in Mindanao almost two years ago.

The money was released to Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) livelihood cluster projects involving crop production.

DBM said the fund was taken from the 2013 supplemental budget under Republic Act No. 10634, which was to be spent on the rehabilitation of calamity-stricken areas.

Of the amount, P115.2 million was allotted for coconut replanting, including the procurement and distribution of seedlings and seed nuts as well as technical support for putting up nurseries and planting.

The remaining P40.6 million was allocated for coconut fertilization, including the delivery and distribution of fertilizer as well as technical support for fertilizer application.

These activities have been aimed at rehabilitating coconut trees that were slightly or moderately damaged during the onslaught of typhoon Pablo in December 2012, specifically in the provinces of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, the DBM said.

“Post-typhoon Pablo rehabilitation is still needed in provinces like Davao Oriental, which generates close to 90 percent of its jobs from coconut production. This release will not only help our farmers reestablish their livelihood, it will also help jump-start economic activity in the region,” Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said in a statement.

“In coordination with other agencies, PCA will ensure that our coconut farmers will get the support they need with the right materials and technology. More importantly, this is part of our push to ‘Build Back Better’ by creating a widespread culture of resiliency, which is crucial in agri-based communities,” Abad added.

The government has already released P10.42 billion under Task Force Pablo Rehabilitation Plan, of which a total of P302.9 million was received by DA.

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