Sec. Alcala welcomes PCAF TF Yolanda’s proposed initiatives for Yolanda-hit farmers, fisherfolk

Recognizing the need to go beyond the provision of aid to Yolanda-affected farmers and fishermen and take a more proactive and integrated approach towards the development and resiliency of the agri-fishery sector, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso Alcala convened a meeting with the National Coordination Office for DA Rehabilitation Assistance for Yolanda (DA-RAY) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) Task Force Yolanda (TF Yolanda) last March 31, 2014.

The said meeting was requested by the task force, through a resolution passed during its meeting last February 20, 2014, in line with the members’ request to review the framework of the DA rehabilitation and reconstruction initiatives to come up with a comprehensive and integrated disaster management framework that can be adopted for future disaster response for the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Officials from DA Regional Field Offices in Regions VI, VII and VIII and various DA bureaus and attached agencies such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), were also in attendance to report on the status of their respective ongoing recovery and rehabilitation initiatives, as well as their work plan and budget for upcoming programs.

BFAR Director Asis Perez reported that, under the Ahon Project, more than 16,500 fishing boats have already been distributed to fishing families affected by super typhoon Yolanda (international codename: Haiyan) in the Western, Central and Eastern Visayas regions.

PCA’s report outlined the agency’s efforts in terms of debris management, fertilization, replanting and intercropping, with a budget of around PhP2.8 billion. PCA Deputy Administrator Roel Rosales disclosed that they have purchased around 1,200 chainsaws, which are mostly being used in clearing felled coconut trees, and other equipment such as saw mills and shredders to speed up the clearing operations.

“So far, around 700 hectares of land have been cleared of felled coconut trees, which is equivalent to 70, 087 trees and 6.7 million board feet of coco lumber which were used in building houses for the affected families,” he said.

He added that there are a total of 87,630 bags of Coco Gro Fertilizer that are already available and 561,447 coconut seedlings have already been replanted in 5,600 hectares of land. PCA has also distributed 350,000 camote cuttings and 219,000 packets of “pinakbet” seeds in different areas in Visayas.

The DA RFOs, on the other hand, reported their accomplishments on initiatives such as clearing operations, fuel subsidy, distribution of seeds (rice, corn and vegetables), and provision of farm tools and fertilizers.

Recommendations from the members of the task force include the conduct of a stakeholder consultation at the ground level with regard to the 40-meter no-build zone and fisherfolk settlement, conduct of agricultural fairs to restart economic activities in the affected areas, consider the use of coco fiber-cement board for low-cost housing, jumpstart PalayBangon program in Region VIII, and utilization of the integrated multihazard and climate change-integrated maps for the Philippine National Aquasilviculture Program, coconut replanting efforts and other medium- and long-term rehabilitation programs.

Members of the PCAF TF Yolanda offer insights on areas that need to be given attention as the rehabilitation efforts in Visayas are being carried out.

Members of the PCAF TF Yolanda offer insights on areas that need to be given attention as the rehabilitation efforts in Visayas are being carried out.

Sec. Alcala also instructed the Bureau of Plant Industry to assess the damage to plant genetic resources in Samar and identify strategies to ensure the conservation of indigenous crop species and varieties.

Sec. Alcala also welcomed Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association Foundation, Inc. president Joel Panagsacan’s offer to help concerned agencies and offices in the procurement of the machinery and equipment needed.

Livestock and poultry stakeholders also lauded Sec. Alcala for immediately acting on the needs Yolanda-hit poultry groups in Bantayan Island through credit access in the Land Bank of the Philippines, especially as the Secretary expanded the coverage to include not only those affected by Yolanda but also by typhoon Santi (international codename: Nari).

In line with this, members of the PCAF Committee on Poultry, Livestock and Feed Crops (CPLFC) hoped that typhoon-affected livestock raisers/farmers are given insurance coverage and/or premium subsidy through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.

Sec. Alcala assured the CPLFC members that the Department will act on this immediately. He also asked them to suggest other areas of investments that livestock and poultry raisers in Bantayan Island can venture into.

see also: http://nafc.da.gov.ph/NAFCNEWs/2014/yolanda.html