Supremo Senador Lito Lapid has lauded the swift response of the Marcos government to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
This comes amid reports from PAG-ASA that the El Nino may persist until May of the current year.
Lapid emphasized that the government promptly addressed the ongoing impact of the intense heatwave by ensuring an adequate food supply and alleviating damage to the local economy.
Lapid pointed out the livelihood assistance provided by the Marcos government to affected farmers and fishermen.
This includes the allocation of P1.4 billion by President Bongbong Marcos to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the Local Adaptation to Water Access (Project Lawa) and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (Project BINHI).
The two programs include providing Learning and Development Sessions (LDS) on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), cash-for-work (CFW), and cash-for-training (CFT) to farmers and fishermen affected by the drought.
“The said programs of President BBM are a significant help to communities affected by El Nino to alleviate its impact on their livelihoods and ensure that they do not go hungry,” emphasized Lapid.
Lapid also supported Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr.’s response to the effects of El Nino.
This includes cloud-seeding, repair and rehabilitation of irrigation canals, distribution of livestock, use of low-water use technology, and other livelihood assistance to farmers and fishermen.
According to the NDRRMC report as of April 3, 2024, the damage caused by El Nino to agriculture has exceeded P1.2 billion.
In the said data, more than 30,000 farmers and fishermen are affected, and over 26 thousand hectares of crops are damaged by drought in five regions.
The highest agricultural damage was recorded in the Western Visayas region, followed by Luzon Island and Zamboanga Peninsula due to El Nino.
In Negros Occidental, drought damage amounted to P97,788,037 in 135 barangays, affecting 2,585 farmers due to El Nino.
Seventeen places have declared a state of calamity, affecting 84,731 families or 416,820 individuals.