Keon acts quickly to assist farmers affected by drought, typhoon Ilocos Norte Governor Michael M. Keon acted swiftly to alleviate the agricultural crisis brought about by the extended drought and the damage wrought by typhoons Chedeng and Dodong. Concerns had been raised even before the issuance of the August 1 PAO report that only 50% of the total acreage devoted to rice planting had been planted due to the severe drought. Last August 2, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap confirmed that Ilocos Norte is one of the hardest hit provinces in Northern Luzon along with Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan. In response, Keon certified as urgent the recommendation to the Provincial Board, that the province be declared under a state of calamity, so that the PGIN could fully utilize its resources in mitigating the impact of the extended dry spell. Immediately, the PAO drafted a Rehabilitation Plan which was reviewed and approved by the governor who than tasked the PAO to begin implementation. The plan calls for three phases or tranches; as of August 23, the first tranche is currently being implemented with the PAO having distributed so far 2500 bags of fertilizer and 400 bags of Certified seeds (palay) worth P3.2 Million, to the affected farmers in all the 23 cities and municipalities of the province. Further implementation of the plan includes continuing distribution of fertilizer and certified seeds, as well as the distribution of drought resistant crops as vegetable and corn seeds which require less water than rice. Stephen T. Barreiro
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