GUIMARAS – Approximately 2,000 female farmers and fisherfolk, including solo parents in this island province, have received financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Sen. Imee Marcos led the distribution of P3,000 in financial assistance to each recipient at the covered gym of Barangay San Miguel, Jordan town, on Friday morning, March 8.
Joining Marcos in the distribution were Gov. Joaquin Carlos Rahman Nava, Cong. Ma. Lucille Nava, Vice Gov. John Edward Gando, and DSWD personnel.
According to Marcos, the financial assistance was aimed specifically at female farmers and fisherfolk, including solo parents, as a gesture of appreciation for the women’s hard work and sacrifices for their families, particularly relevant as International Women’s Day was being celebrated.
“Ngayong araw ay International Women’s Day at sakto man na lahat ng mga kababainhan na magsasaka are recipients, mga mangungoma and fisherfolk. Kasi alam naman natin na napakahirap ng trabaho nila, at solo parents na talagang kayud rin sa buhay,” Marcos said.
Marcos further explained that the DSWD itself selected and determined that women should receive financial assistance as they were also affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
“We chose this group because they are among the hardest hit; this is an island province, and obviously, the farmers and fisherfolk have a hard time maintaining a livelihood, and of course, our solo parents are often short on jobs and money, so we need to lend them a helping hand,” Marcos added.
Besides Guimaras, Marcos assured that farmers and fisherfolk in other provinces in the region severely impacted by El Niño, such as Iloilo, Antique, Negros Occidental, Aklan, and Capiz, would also receive assistance.
Marcos noted that the Department of Agriculture (DA) had allocated funds for farmers and fisherfolk affected by El Niño, including a P500-million allocation for mitigation and response, and heat-resistant seedlings.
Given that Iloilo and other provinces in the region, including Guimaras, are recognized as the country’s rice granary, Marcos said it was inevitable for rice planting and high-value crops to be affected.
She also mentioned that the DA had allocated a P5,000 subsidy for every farmer and a P3,000 subsidy for every fisherfolk in the country affected by El Niño.
However, Marcos highlighted a concern regarding the outdated or un-updated list of farmers and fisherfolk in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) of the DA, worrying that some farmers might be overlooked.
“I enjoin the local government units to help the DA because their RSBSA is very outdated. The rice farmers’ listing should be updated so we can help farmers,” Marcos added./PN
