Group extends aid to farmers in Western Samar

SOME 200 farming families in Western Samar received cash grant as well as livelihood assistance from nongovernment organization Save the Children Philippines.

“Families reliant on farming are facing mounting challenges due to the scorching heat, affecting their ability to support their children’s health, survival, and education,” said Faisah Ali, humanitarian manager of Save the Children Philippines.

Rex Abrigo, environment and climate change advisor at Save the Children Philippines, said climate challenges affect children, despite their minimal responsibility for causing climate change.

The organization, through its Generation Hope Campaign, advocates for climate adaptation measures. In partnership with the Western Samar Development Foundation (WESADEF) Inc., the group has given P6,000 cash assistance to each farming household in the region.

Western Samar is among the 14 regions in the country affected by El Niño, which has caused agricultural losses and water shortages, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The prolonged El Niño is affecting approximately 3.6 million Filipinos, including children, due to droughts and dry conditions.

The economic fallout from agricultural losses has reached P6 billion, with rice, the main crop, accounting for about P3 billion in damages.

Lack of water for irrigation of farms compromises soil health, making crops more prone to pests and diseases which, in turn, drives up food consumption rates.

“Increasing prices of vital farming resources like electricity and packaging materials add to the challenges. Meanwhile, livestock is at high risk of contagious diseases that could likely trigger outbreaks like African swine fever, possibly exacerbated by prolonged drought conditions,” the group said.

“Before, our two-hectare farm used to produce around 70 sacks of rice, but because of the impact of El Niño, we lost everything,” said Teresita Abides, a 46-year-old mother whose family depends heavily on rice farming.

Abides said her children had to stop schooling to help their father cope with the difficulties on the farm caused by the drought.

Aside from the cash grant, Abrigo said each household in Western Samar also received five drought-resistant seeds for cultivation in their backyard gardens, ensuring a sustainable food supply capable of enduring dry seasons.

Trainings on animal husbandry, vegetable cultivation and crop production were also organized by the group.