KORONADAL CITY, Philippines (Philippines News Agency) -- Farmers affected by the long dry spell in a remote town in South Cotabato on Monday received a P500,000 "Kabuhayan" Starter Kit to help them recover from the calamity through livelihood assistance.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz personally handed over the P500,000 check to Leah M. Logong, chairperson of Barangay Lamfugon, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, who represented 100 farmers as side program during the declaration of Lake Sebu as "Labor Laws Compliant Tourist Destination."
Logong said with the DOLE livelihood assistance, the beneficiaries are optimistic to bounce back after directly affected by the recent dry spell.
“Our farmers are expressing their gratitude to Secretary Baldoz for coming over to Lake Sebu and bringing some good news, we assure her that the starter kits will be utilized properly by farmers to help their families,” DOLE-12 quoted Logong as saying.
The DOLE funding assistance will be utilized to procure farm inputs which include fertilizer, herbicide, sprayer, farm boots, gloves and raw materials.
Albert Gutib, DOLE-12 regional director, said the direct beneficiaries of the livelihood assistance are from four sitios (sub-villages) of Barangay Lamfugon, particularly from Sitio Upper Lemfenek, Lower Lemfenek, Lambadak, and Kolonbong.
It can be remembered that at least 100 families of Sitio Upper Lemfenek Barangay Lamfugon were also beneficiaries of the 82nd DOLE Anniversary “Let’s Groove and Zumba for a Cause” and “Barangay Mo, Serbisyuhan Ko.”
They were the hardest hit sector when the dry spell hit the country since November last year.
Most of the beneficiaries were corn farmers whose produce were severely affected by the long dry spell.