LUNA, Apayao – President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. led the distribution of Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolks, and Families (PAFFF) to 27,185 individuals affected by El Niño in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Said event was held at the Bienvenido G. Verzola Jr. Memorial Sports Complex in Luna on July 19, 2024, and was conducted simultaneously in other municipalities of the province.
Each beneficiary received PHP 10,000 in financial assistance. President Marcos ceremonially handed out the assistance to 60 selected beneficiaries from all the provinces of the Cordillera.
“Narito po ako upang maghatid ng tulong sa ating mga minamahal na magsasaka, mangingisda, at inyong mga pamilya. Alam naman po natin, lahat ng maraming kabuhayan ang lubhang tinamaan ng El Niño noong mga nakaraang buwan at ilan sa mga naapektuhan ng matinding tagtuyot ay mga sakahan at palaisdaan,” President Marcos said.
“Magit 1.25 bilyon ang naging pinsala sa sektor ng agrikultura dito sa Cordillera Region na nakaapekto sa kabuhayan ng higit dalawampu’t walong libong magsasaka at mangingisda,” he added.
According to President Marcos, the Office of the President allocated over PHP 260 million for the beneficiaries, to be distributed with the help of the local governments of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province.
In addition to the PAFFF distribution, President Marcos also handed over various agricultural interventions, including equipment and projects, to different farmer cooperative associations, farmers, and fisherfolk.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) program, provided financial assistance of PHP 10,000 each to 2,500 beneficiaries in the province.
Various government agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), also distributed aid during the event.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian were also present during the program. By Jess Christley Marquez
