After brief rally, farmers get rice aid

A FARMER cooks rice for his fellow protesters during a camp-out outside the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office in Cagayan de Oro. The farmers held a brief volley to demand food aid. JIGGER J. JERUSALEM/INQUIRER MINDANAO

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Hundreds of farmers camped outside the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here, but it did not take long for the agency to grant their demand of food aid to those who lost income due to the dry spell.

The farmers belonged to the Kahugpungan sa mga Maguuma sa Bukidnon, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), and Organisasyon sa mga Yanong Obrerong Nagkahiusa (Ogyon).

After spending the night outside the DSWD office, they started moving out in buses, dump trucks and jeepneys on Tuesday, Oliver Inodeo of the regional department’s social marketing unit said.

They decided to pack up after Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo ordered the immediate release of at least 4,000 sacks of rice to them, Inodeo said.

More rice coming

At least 4,000 more sacks of rice would be given to drought-hit families and these will be drawn from the National Food Authority warehouse in Valencia City in Bukidnon, said Aldersey dela Cruz, the department’s assistant regional director for operations.

In a text message to the Inquirer, Taguiwalo said it was important that the farmers be provided the support they were seeking.

The farmers, who came from the towns of Quezon, San Fernando, Maramag, Kitatao, Dangcagan and Kibawe, and the cities of Valencia and Malaybalay in Bukidnon province, said they had been waiting patiently for several months for food aid from the DSWD.

They said they were happy at the initial help and Taguiwalo’s pledge to give them more rice.

The government response was in sharp contrast to the reply given to farmers during a rally in Kidapawan City, which turned violent and led to the death of at least two protesters.

After attending a rally in support of President Duterte during his State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City, the farmers decided to proceed to the DSWD office here.

Dela Cruz told the farmers during a dialogue on Monday that local officials were to blame for the delay in the release of the food aid. Some officials, he said, wanted to sanitize the list of beneficiaries.

He urged the farmers’ groups to submit a new list to be used in the distribution of the remaining 4,000 bags of rice.

Rebecca Pacquiao, a representative of Kasama and Ogyon, said the groups had agreed to leave the area after talking with the DSWD officials.