Bello urges fund release for El Niño

from Manila Bulletin

http://mb.com.ph/articles/246631/bello-urges-fund-release-el-ni-o

Former justice secretary and peace negotiator Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III appealed to the national government to immediately release emergency funds to help farmers affected by the El Niño phenomenon. “Our farmers in Isabela and other provinces are still reeling from the damage the past typhoons have brought, and here comes El Niño, which promises to deliver another blow to their farming revenues,” Bello, a Lakas-Kampi-CMD senatorial candidate, said.

Bello said that the President’s Social Fund, which is sourced from Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation earnings, would be a big boost to the efforts done by other government agencies. Also, the President could also use part of the P2 billion calamity fund to augment the resources of the agencies, Bello said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has said that the El Niño conditions will persist until June based on their climate models. Damage to agriculture has already reached P3.7 billion.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has already realigned P1.7 billion in its budget to mitigate losses estimated at P8 to P20 billion in the agriculture sector. “If these losses continue to pile up, our food supply would be severely affected and compromise the country’s food security,” Bello said. “And the damage to agricultural lands could be long-term,” he added.

The DA has already identified 23 "highly vulnerable" areas and 24 "moderately vulnerable" areas in the country to focus its mitigation efforts on, which include cloud seeding operations; construction of shallow tube wells; the provision of fishcages and vegetable seeds; the building of small scale irrigation facilities and the provision of livelihood assistance. “The farmers play a big role in the country’s food sufficiency, which in turn is also a factor in our economic stability. It’s the government’s responsibility to d it’s best to assist them in trying times like this,” Bello said