Gov. Espino distributes fertilizers to calamity-stricken P’sinense farmers
CAPITOL NEWS
Lingayen, Pangasinan – Governor Amado I. Espino, III led the ceremonial awarding and distribution of 12,000 bags of fertilizers amounting to Php18 million to Pangasinan farmers whose crops were damaged by the massive flooding due to the southwest monsoon or “Habagat” enhanced by tropical storm “Inday” and tropical depression “Josie” last July.
“This is just the initial rehabilitation effort of the provincial government,” Governor Espino told the Pangasinan farmers during the ceremonial awarding and distribution of fertilizers held on August 16 at the Provincial Agriculture Center in Tebag, Sta. Barbara, further stating that the calamity fund of the province is carefully budgeted.
The provincial chief executive said that portion of the calamity fund is also allocated for the rehabilitation of roads, dikes and other public facilities damaged by the torrential rains spawned by Habagat.
It was learned that recipient farmers of the fertilizers from 42 towns and three component cities of the province were selected based on the report on damage on agriculture submitted by municipal / city agriculture offices to the province.
Governor Espino said that the rehabilitation assistance from the provincial government is the counterpart of the Php81.6 million worth agricultural rehabilitation assistance given to the province by the Department of Agriculture (DA) led by Secretary Emmanuel Pinol last July 26.
Included in DA’s rehab assistance were 12,000 bags of hybrid palay seeds, 20,000 bags of certified palay seeds, 100 bags of hybrid corn seeds granted to calamity-stricken farmer organizations to rehabilitate the total 32,000-hectare farmland damaged by the inclement weather condition.
It was on August 2 when the provincial government handed over the DA’s rehabilitation assistance to the calamity-stricken Pangasinan farmers.
Assisting Governor Espino during the ceremonial awarding and distribution of fertilizers were Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr., 4th district Board Member and Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Agriculture Chairperson Liberato Villegas, Regional Training Director Erlinda Manipon of DA – Regional Office 1, OIC Provincial Agriculturist Dalisay Moya, and Acting Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Batalla.
Moya said the distribution of fertilizers to farmers has been scheduled.
She added that ongoing assessment of the farmlands affected by Habagat and typhoons is conducted as basis for the grant of rehabilitation assistance. /Mark Gerry Naval Oblanca
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