DSWD 6 ready to extend aid to farmers affected by El Niño
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Unit 6 is ready to extend assistance to farmers in the region who are affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
DSWD 6 officer-in-charge/assistant regional director Joel Galicia said they already received a directive from Secretary Celia Yangco to come up with a validated master list of those affected by the phenomenon so that they can already determine the kind of intervention to employ.
Galicia said the instruction has been downloaded to various local government units (LGUs) through their provincial and social welfare officers.
“That will serve as basis in determining the support programs/interventions we could provide to a particular municipality,” he said.
He added that the affected will be organized and given seed money should they opt to engage on alternative livelihood.
Meantime, the “Tindahan Natin” and Food-for-School of the DSWD, in coordination with the National Food Authority (NFA), will also be tapped to assist the affected farmers and their families.
Also the DSWD may extend food-for-work and cash-for-work programs to complement the production support strategy that will be employed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) such as construction of irrigation and farm-to-market road projects.
Galicia added that they will also be focusing on farmers who at the same time have been listed as beneficiaries of the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” (4Ps). (PNA)
