House pushes financial aid for El Niño-affected farmers

MANILA, Philippines — Members of the House of Representatives yesterday urged the government to extend financial assistance to an estimated 250,000 farmers affected by the El Niño phenomenon.

“The Department of Agriculture and Department of Budget and Management must ready the funds meant to help farmers,” Rep. Mikee Romero of party-list group 1-Pacman said.

Romero added that assistance could come in the form of cash grant, seeds and other planting materials, irrigation, farm implements and other inputs. 

He also said other agencies, local government units and farmers’ organizations must try to collect rainwater or divert it to catchments.

“The weather bureau forecasts the lingering effects of El Niño to be felt until October. It also predicts fewer storms. Thus, there should be ways to channel, collect and store rainwater for farmers to use. They will need a lot of it given the forecasts,” Romero, who sits in the House committee on food security, added.

Another lawmaker, Rep. Ariel Casilao of party-list Anakpawis, said financial aid from government would enable farmers to continue cultivating their farms and cushion the impact of the drought on farming and household expenses.

“We are hearing many reports from agencies about damages, but farmers continue to lament that they have yet to receive any concrete support from the government,” he said.

Casilao noted that farmers in Isabela are asking for a P7 aid for every kilo of loss on potential harvest from their rice and corn farms. 

A 100-cavan yield per hectare of rice land, or 5,000 kilos, would require P35,000 in financial assistance, he added.

Casilao pointed out that El Niño now affects farmers in the Cordillera area, Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Regions 4A and 4B, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Region 12 and the Muslim autonomous region.

He suggested that aside from available appropriations in the 2019 national budget, Malacañang could use the President’s social fund and calamity fund as source of money to help farmers.

In case more money is needed, Casilao said Congress could pass a joint resolution allowing the use of other appropriations.