The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) are rolling out urgent financing and recovery measures to help farmers and fisherfolk overcome hardships brought by recent habagat and typhoons.
Through its Agricultural Credit Policy Council, the DA launched the AGRI-RECOVER Program starting with P1.75 million in calamity loans in Angeles City, Pampanga, providing P35,000 each to 50 initially targeted beneficiaries. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stressed that fast access to working capital is critical to rehabilitate farms and keep food supply steady, noting that quick recovery directly supports national food security. The recent severe weather caused P4.38 billion in agricultural and fisheries damage, affecting some 99,000 producers and 81,000 hectares; while overall rice supply remains stable, localized losses and transport issues may temporarily affect supplies and prices. Designed to address urgent cash flow gaps, AGRI-RECOVER will expand to Pangasinan on October 16 and scale to other calamity-declared areas including Benguet, Bataan, Bulacan, Zambales, Tarlac, Cavite, Rizal, Batangas and parts of Occidental Mindoro, based on validated needs and readiness.
In parallel efforts, DAR distributed 1,191 land titles covering 1,446 hectares to 1,147 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Pangasinan, strengthening their land security and access to support. It also turned over 87 farm-to-market roads worth P601.5 million to improve market access for 31,480 beneficiaries, alongside P6.9 million in credit assistance, P12.2 million in climate-resilient support services, tool kits, solar irrigation pumps, fingerlings and coconut seedlings delivered through partnerships with TESDA, BFAR, PCA and LTO. These combined interventions aim to restore livelihoods, boost productivity and build long-term resilience among weather-affected stakeholders.
