DA, nagbigay ng financial assistance at iba pang tulong sa mga magsasaka sa Oriental Mindoro na apektado ng #ElNiñoPH
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00:00 The Department of Agriculture provided various assistance to the farmers affected by the El Niño in Oriental Mindoro.
00:08 And not only that, the agency also responded to the damage to the damaged crops.
00:13 The update on the situation there, find out in the center of the news of Clay Sol Pardilla, live.
00:20 Audrey, 70% of the crops here in Manzalay, Oriental Mindoro
00:27 were affected by the extreme heat of the El Niño.
00:31 So the Department of Agriculture was able to help
00:35 to alleviate the difficulties of the farmers here.
00:39 Roberto was able to buy the used rice and rice paddy
00:46 from his three hectare rice field in Barangay Santa Teresita, Manzalay, Oriental Mindoro.
00:52 When he was able to buy rice, he was confident that he would earn and get back his money.
00:59 But what Roberto did not expect, his rice paddy was cracked and dried.
01:07 It's not that big anymore, it's burned, it's too hot, it's dried,
01:12 we can't get water anymore.
01:14 That's why when this happens, we are a bit ashamed of what we owe.
01:22 We just talk to the people who gave us space
01:27 so that they know and see the situation.
01:31 According to the Manzalay Local Government,
01:33 70% of the more than 4,000 hectare rice fields in Manzalay
01:39 were affected by the extreme heat of the El Niño.
01:43 The rain was just there where the farmers were hoping for water.
01:48 Some rice paddies were also burned and some rivers in the barangays
01:53 that provide irrigation to the area were almost dried up.
01:56 According to the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,
02:00 the farmers affected by the El Niño were able to help.
02:03 The Department of Agriculture was able to help the farmers
02:08 in Manzalay, Oriental Mindoro.
02:11 More than 200 beneficiaries received a 5,000 pesos aid
02:16 from the Rice Farmer Financial Program.
02:19 The DA also paid the damaged rice fields of the farmers.
02:23 Under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation Program,
02:26 10,000 pesos were given to every hectare affected by the calamity,
02:30 like the El Niño.
02:32 The Agency also has a loan from the Agriculture Credit and Policy Council.
02:35 The farmers were given a 25,000 pesos loan.
02:39 This is not a collateral interest that can be paid within three years.
02:44 The Agency also brought in free rice and farm input.
02:47 In total, more than 28 million pesos were given to the farmers.
02:52 We are here to show that the support of the whole Agriculture Department is here.
02:59 I hope you will not get tired of going to the office
03:03 if there is a disaster.
03:05 The help was very thankful.
03:07 We are here to help because this will be our alternative
03:13 to restart our farming
03:17 so that we can recover from the El Niño.
03:22 The Task Force El Niño also inspected the affected areas
03:28 and discussed the problems and solutions.
03:31 We gained additional knowledge
03:33 when inspecting the farms to determine what is needed.
03:37 Case in point, we went to a farm
03:41 and there was a balloon that was drying up.
03:44 Some of the interventions that can be done,
03:47 the NIA has equipment to find aquifers
03:52 or balloons that can collect water.
03:54 We can also ask other agriculturalists,
04:00 municipal or provincial agricultural officers,
04:03 to do cloud seeding.
04:04 Audrey, there is a farm in two villages in Oriental Mindoro
04:11 with a balloon that declared a state of calamity
04:15 due to the heavy rainfall caused by the El Niño.
04:19 On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture assured
04:22 that even if there are dried rice,
04:24 the effect will not be that great
04:28 on the national production of rice in our country
04:31 and that there is a sufficient supply of rice.
04:34 Audrey?
04:35 It's great to know that the help of our government
04:40 is directly reaching our farmers.
04:43 But, are we going to wait for help from our farmers
04:48 even if the effects of the El Niño will extend or last longer?
04:58 Audrey, we only received the first batch
05:01 and there are still more farmers who can be helped.
05:06 All of them will be on the list.
05:09 Audrey, this is not a long-term solution
05:13 that the government will give.
05:15 This is only short-term
05:16 so that they can reap the fruits of their labor,
05:20 so that they can plant again
05:22 or find a new livelihood
05:25 from the financial assistance or loans they received.
05:29 The long-term solution that the Department of Agriculture
05:33 is saying is the creation of communal irrigation,
05:36 the creation of canals.
05:38 Because, Audrey, there is a big river here
05:42 in Bongabon
05:43 that was approved by the Department of Agriculture
05:45 and the National Irrigation Administration.
05:48 There should be an irrigation canal
05:49 that will go to Bongabon River
05:52 so that there will be enough water supply.
05:55 Because, Audrey, there is a barangay here in Manzalay
05:58 that was not affected by the El Niño
06:01 and you can see that the farmers are still alive.
06:04 Because, that is the only barangay
06:06 that can directly get water from Bongabon River.
06:10 So, the long-term solution
06:12 is to have a good irrigation for the farmers here.
06:18 Audrey?
06:19 Thank you very much, Laisel Pardilla.