The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) provides farm inputs to qualified recipients affected by the El Niño crisis as part of the Bangsamoro Government’s quick response assistance to impacted communities. (Photo courtesy of MAFAR)
COTABATO CITY—In response to the El Niño crisis in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) initiated measures to support affected individuals by distributing bags of ‘palay’ seeds.
MAFAR’s quick response across BARMM includes distributing hybrid corn seeds, vegetable seeds, nitrogen fertilizer, portable solar water pump irrigation systems, garden tools, and both tilapia and bangus fingerlings and feeds.
Ismail Guiamel, Director of Agriculture Services and Focal Person for Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM-BARMM) noted significant damage to agri-fishery production areas due to extreme temperatures and drought.
“The MAFAR is now calling for the cooperation of the farmers and fisherfolk to report to the nearest MAFAR Municipal office in their area to assess and validate their production areas,” he said.
“This will also help the farmers and fisherfolk recover from their losses as the assessment will serve as the basis of intervention to be given by the ministry,” Guiamel also stressed.
On April 29, the BARMM Government issued the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) Proclamation No. 002 s. 2024, declaring a State of Calamity in the region due to the severe effects of El Niño. This climate pattern causes unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean, leading to extreme drought.
The Proclamation aims to aid affected communities and expedite significant interventions by the interim government, including response operations and recovery efforts. (Kasan Usop, Jr./BIO with reports from MAFAR)
