Support for farmers, fishers urged
TUGON Kabuhayan, a food security advocacy group, requested all sectors to support the government’s efforts to restore the productivity of farmers and fishers affected by Super Typhoon “Odette.”
The Category 5 typhoon battered large parts of coastal waters of Caraga, Eastern and Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Palawan of Mimaropa with estimated damage to agriculture and fisheries estimated at 11.1 billion.
In a recent briefing, Tugon said that along with continuing relief operations, the private sector should also consider complementing the government’s efforts by helping the farmers get back on their feet.
The group explained that while it will take time to fully assess and validate the actual damage in the fisheries sector, data from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) showed that there are 721,063 registered fisherfolks and 112,832 registered municipal fishing boats in the six affected regions.
“Using these numbers as baselines, alongside with the pictures and videos of the aftermath of the typhoon, it is reasonable to believe that at a big percentage, if not all of the number of the listed fisherfolks, are likely affected alongside thousands of fishing boats. The baseline is so big that even if we assume that only 35 percent of these boats are lost or damaged, close to 40,000 boats need to be replaced or repaired,” Tugon said.
It noted that the resources required to repair and replace these damaged and lost boats alone, can run hundreds of millions, not to mention the fishing gears and other accessories needed to conduct a fishing operation. The private sector should step up to complement the government’s rehabilitation effort, especially now that most of the government resources are being used in the Covid response, Tugon further said.
The Department of Agriculture will be disbursing at least P2.9 billion funds to help farmers and fisherfolks, including P1 billion worth of quick response funds, P828 million from Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to aid farmland rehabilitation and P47 million worth of assistance to affected fisherfolks from BFAR, among others.