P15,000 aid mulled for El Niño-hit farmers

MANILA, Philippines — After sari-sari store owners and rice retailers, President Marcos is not discounting the possibility of granting P15,000 in cash aid to farmers gravely hit by El Niño, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said yesterday.

“We are coordinating with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to make sure the intervention will arrive in the coming days. Right now, we are finishing with the small rice retailers. I am a hundred percent sure the President will want to see the shortlist with the department,” Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said.

The DSWD chief said they, along with the DA, are discussing other interventions after the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) payout of cash aid to micro rice retailers and sari-sari store owners selling rice.

Gatchalian said the SLP payout for sari-sari store owners will start on Sept. 29, following Malacañang’s imposition of a price cap on regular and well-milled rice through Executive Order 39.

The DA will be the one to identify the SLP farmer-beneficiaries who will be most affected by the El Niño phenomenon.

Aside from SLP, the DSWD launched Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) in Davao de Oro, Ifugao and Antique on Aug. 31 to help improve the resiliency of communities affected by El Niño.

Project LAWA is an early action plan of the government to mitigate the impacts of drought and dry spells by establishing small farm reservoirs, which will be participated in by the community.

To assist the poor, vulnerable and marginalized families of indigenous peoples, farmers and fisherfolk, the DSWD, through its cash-for-training and work, will provide financial support as an alternative income in exchange for the work rendered by the beneficiaries while constructing the alternative water resources.

The DSWD vowed to continue providing interventions that will assist the vulnerable sectors amid the El Niño phenomenon.