Gov't aid amid El Niño might be too late for beneficiaries, says farmers' group

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A farmers’ group said on Thursday that the government’s response to a potentially strong El Niño could be already late for its intended beneficiaries.

The Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives, Inc. (FFCI) said that planned subsidies for farmers should be given in cash instead as the government action might take time to arrive.

“Itong El Niño, last year pa pinag uusapan na nila. Ngayon pa lang sila gumagalaw,” said FFFCI National Manager Raul Montemayor in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB.

(They have been talking about El Niño since last year. They are only taking action now.)

“Kaya ako naiisip ko, huwag na ‘yung mga subsidy, ibigay na lang ng pera, kung ano mang pera ang available at ibigay sa mga magsasaka. Hayaan na lang ang mga magsasaka na mag diskarte. Kung ano yung kailangan nilang gawin…bahala sila na gamitin, kaysa maghintay sa gobyerno.”

(That's why I think, forget about the subsidies—just give them cash, whatever money is available, and release it to the farmers. Let the farmers figure out how to manage it themselves. Whatever they need to do… leave it to them on how to use it, rather than waiting for the government.)

“By the time na maibigay sa kanila ‘yung mga ayuda, abono, fuel subsidy, tapos na yung El Niño,” Montemayor further said.

(By the time the financial aid, fertilizers, and fuel subsidies are actually distributed to them, El Niño will already be over.)

GMA News Online reached out to the Department of Agriculture (DA) for comment.

The DA earlier said that it sought P45 billion funding to assist farmers and fisherfolk in the looming prolonged drought, which is expected to persist until early 2027.

The request will cover fuel subsidies to farmers and fisherfolk in areas affected by the Habagat and those that experienced drought in the past, mostly in Luzon.

The DA said that it has already begun releasing fuel assistance to registered fisherfolk this week. While mechanized farmers could start receiving the subsidy by the last week of October or in November.

There are 106 areas in the country so far that have already declared a state of calamity due to El Niño. —RF, GMA News

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