Workers affected by El Niño to get financial aid

MANILA – The government will provide financial assistance to workers affected by the El Niño phenomenon.

In a speech in Malacañang, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said workers in the agriculture sector and those from sectors adversely affected by the phenomenon will get cash aid.

“Sa buong bansa – yaong mga nasiraan ng pananim at kabuhayan dahil sa tagtuyot,” President Marcos said.

The cash aid is on top of the ongoing programs being implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The President further said the government will prioritize helping those affected in Mindanao.

Currently five provinces in Mindanao have declared a state of calamity due to El Niño .

DSWD said that, as of May 1, there are 2.97 million persons from 3,905 barangays in 13 regions affected.

DSWD data also showed that P97.275 million worth of family food packs and non-food relief items have been distributed to affected areas in regions I (Ilocos), II (Cagayan Valley), III (Central Luzon), IV-B (Mimaropa), V (Bicol), VI (Western Visayas), VII (Central Visayas), VIII (Eastern Visayas), IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), XI (Davao), XII (Soccsksargen), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)./PN