El Niño affected farmers and fisherfolk receive check worth P5, 000 during the ceremonial distribution of financial assistance on Monday, Sept. 30, in Cotabato City. (Marhom Ibrahim/BIO)
COTABATO CITY— Over 30k farmers and fisherfolk affected by the recent drought in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) get P5,000 financial assistance from the region’s agriculture ministry.
In a ceremonial distribution in the Shariff Kabungsuan Cultural Complex (SKCC) on Monday, Sept. 30, Minister Mohammad Yacob of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) personally handed over the check to 270 initial batches of the 30,891 validated farmers and fisherfolk affected by El Niño.
Yacob said that this is part of Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahims’ advocacy to lessen the poverty incident in the region, primarily the farmers and fisherfolk being part of the vulnerable sectors.
“Our real mission is to extend our services and help from the government to the farmers, fisherfolk, and agrarian sectors, particularly during a situation like this [El Niño],” Yacob explained.
As he assured the recipients of continued support from BARMM, Yacob also reminded them to help the regional government achieve its goal to lessen poverty incidence in the region.
“We are continuing to support you because we really envision that all farmers, fisherfolk, and agrarian reform sector in the BARMM become proud of themselves,” Yacob emphasized.
According to MAFAR, the recipients of the financial assistance were carefully validated before the distribution. Accordingly, 6,250 were from Maguindanao del Norte, 11,694 were from Maguindanao del Sur, and 12,947 were from the Special Geographic Area (SGA), and Cotabato City.
The program was financed through the ministry’s Quick Response Fund (QRF)— the ministry’s ‘stand by fund’ under the General Appropriation Act of Bangsamoro 2024 to help farmers and fisherfolksaffected by human induced and natural calamity.
A 51-year-old farmer beneficiary, Empa Condi, from Poblacion 8, Cotabato City, thanked the MAFAR and BARMM government for helping them. A father to nine children, Condi shared that his income from being a land tenant is barely enough to support them financially, and it became even harder when the drought hit early this year.
Speaking in Maguindanaon vernacular, Condi shared that since the inception of BARMM, he has observed plenty of developments.
“Pedsukuran nami su gubyerno na BARMM endo gadsagipa nami sya sa lekami anya a dalpa e kinadsambi nu kamal sya kanu inged tanu,” he added.
[We are grateful to the government of BARMM. Since the inception of BARMM, we have observed that our area has improved, including the leadership.]
MAFAR Maguindanao Provincial Director Ronjamin Maulana who spearheaded the implementation of the said program, expects to complete the releasing of QRF by October 15. (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
