Allocate calamity funds to rehabilitate fingerlings industry

We urge Malacanang to allocate funds to fast track the recovery of losses incurred by the agricultural sector in the wake of typhoons Pedring and Quiel.

We need immediate restocking of bangus fingerlings in small fishpens in Bulacan and other areas damaged by the typhoons. Left alone, it would take them 60 to 75 days to restock. That would take too long. If we don’t act fast, this will impact our food supply chain.

We also urge the Department of Agriculture to give away fingerlings for free to fishpen owners to help them recover.

Most of these fishpen owners are left with nothing. Wala na rin silang pambayad para mag-restock. Instead of subsidizing, the DA should give away fingerlings for free.

Data from the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food (PCAFI) show that more than 36,000 metric tons of bangus and tilapia were lost due to typhoon Pedring alone. In Hagonoy, over 7,000 hectares of fishponds were destroyed. Figures are expected to go higher as officials tally the damages. BFAR can get fisherlings from their stock as well as private hatcheries. The government needs only to allocate funds for the DA to be able to give away the fingerlings to fisherfolk as soon as possible.

Let us prioritize small fishfarmers and help them get back on their feet and help mitigate the damaging effects of the typhoon. If we don’t do so soon, we will feel the immediate effects on our food supply chain. We urge the government to allocate and release funds now for the immediate restocking of our food.

Rehabilitate rice producing areas in Luzon

We urge the government to allocate funds to mitigate the damages to the country’s rice producing areas and help farmers recover quickly.

We need government’s intervention on our agricultural sector by securing our farmer’s yield on the next two croppings. At the most, we can only recover 50 percent of our harvest damaged by Pedring and Quiel. We ask the Department of Agriculture to subsidize palays for farmers and suspend irrigation fees for the next two croppings. Kung hindi natin gagawin ito, mababaon sa utang ang ating mga magsasaka at buong bayan ang maaapektuhan.

We also call for the immediate release of P500M state reserve funds throught the PCIC for farmers.Yang halagang iyan ay nakasaad sa charter ng PCIC. Dapat sana ay mailabas na sa lalong madaling panahon ang perang ito nang sa gayon ay hindi naman mabaon sa utang ang ating mga magsasaka. Isang kahig, isang tuka na nga sila, mababaon pa sila sa matinding utang dahil sa pananalanta ng bagyo.

Sa huli, hindi lang ang kabuhayan ng magsasaka ang isasalba natin dito. Nakasalalay din dito ang ating pagkain. Kalahating pursiyento ng ating suplay ng bigas galing sa Luzon. Maaaring hindi pa natin mararamdaman ang kakulangan karakaagad pero siguradong darating ito. Tulungan natin ang ating mga magsasaka at nang sa gayon ay maseguro natin na sapat ang suplay ng bigas sa bawat hapag kainan sa bansa.

Conduct regular barangay-based typhoon drills

We call on Local Government Units and other concerned agencies to include typhoon drills as part of their efforts in disaster preparedness.

As a means to strengthen disaster preparedness and educate our citizens on the necessity of evacuation operations and procedure during times of typhoons, LGUs and Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils should undertake typhoon drills on a regular basis.

Our schools and offices undertake earthquake drills regularly even if we have earthquakes perhaps once or twice a year, yet we do not have typhoon drills despite the fact that we have 20 typhoons hitting the country each year.

According to Local officials and rescue workers, when typhoons Pedring and Quiel hit, most homeowners refused to leave their property despite early warnings of flooding. This prompted a debate on whether the PNP and AFP should use forced evacuation procedures in such cases. Typhoon drills would address this concern as this will give the public the necessary information.

Disaster preparedness is the best way to ensure that lives are saved, and death and injuries brought down to a minimum. After visiting the disaster areas of Pampanga and Bulacan and conferring with local officials and our men from both the AFP and PNP, we see this drill as an effective way to educate and enlighten our citizens on the issue.