NEWS (August 25– August 31, 2008) IN residents get typhoon aid, P50M for agri rehab By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporters DINGRAS, Ilocos Norte—A thousand bags of certified sees, medicines, water treatment agents, mosquito nets and packs of relief goods were distributed to 3,500 families here on August 27 as this town has been identified by the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) as one the hardest hit in the province by recent typhoons. This town reported the most number of affected families by the recent spate of typhoons in the province as well as an estimated P15 million in damages in crops and infrastructure. Dingras Mayor Marynette Gamboa reported more than P50 million in calamity assistance for the national government for the repair and rehabilitation of roads and agricultural land. Earlier, Ilocos Norte Gov. Michael M. Keon, representing local government units in the province, presented the multi-million pesos worth of typhoon damages as well as the proposed rehabilitation plan for Ilocos Norte during the August 26 National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Cabinet-level meeting at the Sierra Madre Ballroom of Fort Ilocandia Resort and Casino. The NDCC meeting was personally attended by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who arrived in Laoag City on the afternoon of August 26 along with several Cabinet secretaries. Mrs. Arroyo planned to stay in the province for two days as she was scheduled to visit this town on August 27 but she cut short her visit and left on the night of August 26 after she was reportedly advised to leave in the province as typhoon “Lawin” was expected to arrive on the province the next day. Frontline government agencies including the Departments of Agriculture, Social Welfare and Development, Health, Education, and Public Works and Highways were left in the province to assist in the delivery of relief goods and other social services to typhoon victims here. The President also ordered the immediate repair of 33 damaged houses in the province while a medical mission and feeding program was organized by the Health and Education departments. Of the P1.1 billion estimated damages in rice, corn and high value commercial crops, and fisheries in Regions I and II, Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap said during a press briefing at FIRC after the NDCC meeting that the impact on rice production was the most affected, next to corn. Yap added that around 47,646 hectares could still be recovered while 5,000 hectares account for total losses. The agriculture secretary added that major intervention should be implemented to address the spiraling cost of farming inputs such as fertilizer to minimize its negative effect on farmers’ livelihood and production. “The cost of fertilizer alone increased from P1,800 to P2,000 per bag,” Yap noted. Among the major interventions being done, Yap reported that the P200 million budget for irrigation rehabilitation was increased to P6 billion to ensure enough food production in the future. “The immediate repair of irrigation system for production areas allow farmers to plant right away,” he explained. Yap further related that the National Food Authority (NFA), which was not allowed to buy more than 200,000 metric tons of palay (rice), has been ordered to purchase of about 500,000 metric tons to ensure affordable price of rice in the market. Ilocos Times copyright 2008 Back to top

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