Rice distribution continues in North Cotabato as farmers resume planting

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines - Around 198,760 peasant families in Kidapawan City and in 11 North Cotabato towns have received rice through distribution programs of the provincial government since April.

Vergelita Guilaran, provincial social welfare officer, said that 19,883 bags of rice had been dispersed to farm families in the affected towns in relief operations that started on April 25.

The provincial government’s relief missions were directly supervised and properly documented by the North Cotabato chapter of the Philippine Red Cross.

Employees of the provincial media office said operations covered a total of 367 barangays in Kidapawan City and in the municipalities of Arakan, Antipas, Matalam, Alamada, Aleosan, Carmen, Pigcawayan, Midsayap, Banisilan, Makilala and Pikit.

Farmers in these areas have been sowing rice and corn seeds in their fields since late April, after rains started falling on their farms made barren by a dry spell that started in November 2015.  

Guilaran said the provincial government is thankful to the Red Cross for helping facilitate its rice distribution program, meant to help farmers who suffered heavy crop losses because of the dry spell.

Guialaran said they aim to distribute 7,964 more bags of rice in the next five days in the towns of Kabacan (5,419 families); Magpet (14,601 families); Pres. Roxas (9,216 families); Libungan (10,618 families); Tulunan (12,081 families) and in M'lang (17,678 families).

Local officials of the town where rice was distributed told reporters that the relief operations were orderly and that only resident farmers were provided with rice supplies.

In late March, thousands of farmers gathered in the provincial capital Kidapawan City to demand government relief. Three people died when the dispersal of that rally turned violent.

The provincial government said that it had been carrying out programs to address the drought even before the farmers held their protest.