BACOLOD C City – Some 595 farmers in southern Negros Occidental affected by Typhoon “Odette” last December 2021 availed themselves of a no-interest loan amounting to P10,000 each from the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson led the distribution of the checks during the turnover rites at the Kabankalan City Demo Farm on Aug. 4 2022.
“We thank the DA, they believe in the credibility of the people of Negros Occidental. I wrote them to request the province be included in the program and they approved it,” Lacson said.
Sarah Obordo, La Castellana – 1 Personnel Multi-Purpose Cooperative manager, the DA’s Agricultural Credit Policy Council partner-lending conduit, said 570 beneficiaries from Kabankalan City will receive the loan during the three-day payout until Friday.
Checks were also released to 25 recipients from Hinigaran town.
The P10,000 non-collateralized loan is extended to each qualified household at a zero-percent interest rate payable in three years.
Called the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan, the aid aims to finance the emergency and production capital requirements of small farmers, fisherfolk, and animal raisers whose production income was affected by “Odette”.
With the loan assistance, the beneficiaries, who were enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture, are expected to regain the capacity to continue their agricultural activities and contribute to sustained food production.
According to the DA-Western Visayas, the region incurred PHP6 billion worth of production losses, affecting 156,113 farmers and fisherfolk, during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette from Dec. 16 to 17, 2021.
Among the worst-hit areas were central and southern Negros Occidental, Guimaras, southern Iloilo, and southern Antique. (PNA)/PN
