President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday led the distribution of Php 10,000 cash aid to farmers and fisherfolk whose livelihoods were affected by the successive typhoons in recent weeks, as part of the Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolk, and Families (PAFF) program.

“Layunin nitong maging unang hakbang upang makaahon muli ang inyong mga kabuhayan,” President Marcos said. (The goal of this [program] is to serve as the first step toward rebuilding your livelihoods.)

The PAFF program was launched to help farmers and fisherfolk recover from the impact of El Niño, which was reported to have caused a total of Php 9.50 billion in damage to the country’s agriculture sector.

However, after this phenomenon, six consecutive tropical cyclones struck the country within 25 days, two of which were super typhoons. The president has therefore noted how climate change is affecting the country.

“Sa nagdaang mga linggo, naramdaman natin ang hagupit ng kalikasan na dulot ng climate change o pagbabago ng klima,” he said. (In the past few weeks, we have felt the wrath of nature brought about by climate change.)

President Marcos encouraged the public, local government units, and national agencies to utilize resources and adopt current innovations from the government to address this global phenomenon, such as the geological hazard maps created by the Department of Science and Technology.

“Hinihikayat ko ang lahat, na gamitin ang ating kaalaman, materyales, at pondo upang mas maging handa tayo ano man ang pagsubok na dumating sa atin. Tulad ng mga geo-hazard map. Itong geo-hazard map, ito po ang mga ginagawa ng DOST upang maipakita kung saan dadaan ang bagyo at anong lugar ang pwedeng tamaan,” PBBM explained. (I encourage everyone to use our knowledge, resources, and funds to better prepare ourselves for whatever challenges may come our way. One example is the geo-hazard maps. These geo-hazard maps were created by the DOST to show where storms may pass and which areas could potentially be affected.)

“Sa wastong paggabay at paggamit ng impormasyon na ito, maiiwasan natin ang malalang pinsala ng mga sakuna,” he added. (With proper guidance and use of this information, we can avoid the serious damage of disasters.)

Through the Department of Agriculture, the president assured farmers and fisherfolk that they would receive enough buffer seeds and other assistance to help them strengthen their livelihoods once again.