Dept. of Agriculture in Bicol readies P3.3-B aid as El Niño looms

By Jordan Kurt Domingo and Ernie Delgado

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay --- The Department of Agriculture (DA) Bicol is preparing a P3.3-billion assistance and intervention package for farmers and fisherfolk as the region braces for the effects of El Niño expected to persist into the last quarter of 2026.

DA Bicol information officer Lovella Guarin said the package includes crop insurance, irrigation support, certified seeds, farm machinery and other assistance intended to cushion the impact of prolonged dry conditions on the agriculture sector.

Of the amount, P763.8 million is earmarked for DA Bicol programs, P408.3 million for crop insurance indemnities covering 225,736 farmers, P862 million for irrigation, P302.6 million for certified rice seeds, and P249.8 million worth of farm machinery.

Another P188.7 million is allocated for programs of the Philippine Coconut Authority, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Sugar Regulatory Administration, Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority and Agricultural Training Institute.

Guarin said more than P520 million in assistance had already been distributed from June to September to farmers affected by insufficient rainfall.

During his visit to Camarines Norte and Sorsogon this week, Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA would install more than 100 shallow tube wells in farms with available water sources.

The DA is also procuring fertilizer, solar-powered pumps and irrigation systems and will distribute drought-tolerant crops, including munggo beans, corn and selected vegetables. Fuel assistance is also planned in November for farmers using agricultural machinery and fisherfolk operating boats.

Meanwhile, the dry spell has caused P235.8 million in agricultural losses, affecting 8,009 farmers across the region. Rice accounted for P192.6 million, or 81 percent of the total losses, while Masbate recorded the largest affected area at 2,794 hectares.

DA Bicol Regional Executive Director Rodel P. Tornilla said the regional office would submit a P344-million rehabilitation plan to the DA central office for funding.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 5 in Bicol has distributed over P6 million in aid to families affected by the El Niño climate pattern.

According to DSWD Regional Director Norman Laurio, the agency provided food packs to 11,055 families in the provinces of Albay, Catanduanes, and Camarines Norte that have been impacted by drought.

“We are offering assistance in the form of family food packs to address the immediate needs of our fellow citizens affected by drought caused by El Niño,” said Laurio.

In its first situation report on the weather phenomenon issued on Wednesday, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council indicated that as of Friday, 11,055 families—or more than 49,200 individuals—were affected by El Niño in the region.

According to the Department of Agriculture’s first bulletin on El Niño, the agriculture sector in Bicol has already incurred some P37.4 million in damage due to the climatic event.

The severe water shortage in all 12 towns of Camarines Norte has led the province to declare a state of calamity, the Office of Civil Defense V reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the DSWD Field Office 5 reported that months before the onset of El Niño, which began affecting the country in June, the agency prepared 292,048 family food packs and 15,229 non-food items, such as kitchen kits, amounting to more than P242,271,808.

“These resources are prepositioned to ensure immediate distribution and to support local government units in responding to the effects of El Niño, in line with the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian,” Laurio said.