P72-M farm rehab assistance given to typhoon-hit areas in Bicol

NAGA CITY—The Department of Agriculture (DA) released last week P72 million worth of planting materials and medicines for livestock as rehabilitation of farms destroyed and damaged by Typhoon “Nina” (international name: Nock-ten) started.

The typhoon, which hit provinces in the Bicol and Southern Tagalog regions in December, destroyed more than P5 billion worth of crops and livestock.

Elena delos Santos, DA Bicol regional director, said the initial rehabilitation assistance to affected farmers was drawn from the calamity fund savings of the regional DA, which the Department of Budget and Management released last week.

Delos Santos said President Duterte, during his visit to Catanduanes and Camarines Sur provinces on Dec. 28, three days after the typhoon hit, promised a separate P500-million rehabilitation assistance fund for farmers and fishermen in areas hit by Nina.

She said the farm rehabilitation assistance was coursed through local governments in Albay, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes, the three hardest-hit provinces in the region.

Delos Santos said these provinces received certified and hybrid palay seeds, assorted vegetable seeds, mungbean seeds, hybrid yellow and white corn seeds, assorted grafted seedlings of pili, cacao and lemon, and medicines for farm animals.

Delos Santos said the regional DA submitted to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol a rehabilitation proposal for Catanduanes, where abaca plantations were destroyed when Nina made landfall there on Dec. 25. —JUAN ESCANDOR JR.