Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Tag: President Marcos

Gov’t expands cash, rice aid to Bukidnon

Posted on by cmn

The government has expanded its cash and rice aid program to cover Bukidnon province following its successful implementation in Metro Manila and Laguna last week

Speaker Martin Romualdez said the activity coincided with the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair being held in Bukidnon.

The Cash and Rice Distribution (CARD) program was rolled out in response to a call by President Marcos for the government to create a system meant to give the “poor and vulnerable” families opportunities to enjoy a better quality of life through the legislative districts.

Romualdez, the chief proponent of the CARD program, said some 3,000 beneficiaries were given aid in Bukidnon, in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The Speaker was assisted for the Bukidnon leg of the CARD program by congressional Reps. Jonathan Keith Flores and Laarni Lavin Roque, Gov. Neil Roque, and Davao de Oro Rep. Maria Carmen Zamora.

The CARD Program was earlier launched in Metro Manila, covering all of its 33 legislative districts, with each having 10,000 beneficiaries for a total of 330,000 residents.

At least 5,000 residents in Biñan City and Sta. Rosa in Laguna were likewise assisted by the CARD program.

The beneficiaries, notably senior citizens, persons with disability, solo parents, and indigenous people, received at least P2,000 worth of cash and rice assistance, consisting of a 25-kilo sack of rice and P1,000 cash to buy other food essentials.

Romualdez said the CARD program would cover the whole country to serve constituents of the 250 congressional districts, reaching out to at least 10,000 beneficiaries per district.

This would translate to 2.5 million indigent and vulnerable Filipinos benefitting from the CARD program. (Manila Standard)

Biz chamber’s Bioco is now Acting NFA Chief

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed a Bukidnon-based business leader as the new acting administrator and member of the National Food Authority (NFA) Council as of Jan. 18, 2023.

Roderico R. Bioco, president of the Bukidnon Giant Bamboo (BGB) Resources Corporation, is a former chair of the Bukidnon Kaamulan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. He has replaced Judy Dansal, who Duterte appointed in 2019.

The former governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Northern Mindanao took his oath for the NFA top post on Jan. 18 before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

As NFA Acting Administrator, Bioco also sits in the NFA Council as vice chairperson. The council is chaired by the agriculture secretary, which is con-currently held by President Marcos. (BukidnonNews.Net)

LPA leaves 7 dead, P22-M worth of damage in NorMin

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The two-week rains caused by a low-pressure area (LPA) in Northern Mindanao affected 59,000 individuals, left seven dead, and damaged more than PHP22 million worth of properties.

 

In the initial report by the Region 10 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC-10) on January 15, 15,812 families experienced flooding.

In evacuation centers throughout the region, only 4,432 individuals or 1,227 families have remained as of Sunday out of the 31,353 individuals or 8,621 families who sought shelter within the two weeks period.

The seven dead were from the provinces of Lanao del Norte, four; Misamis Oriental, two; and Misamis Occidental, one.

RDRRMC-10 also recorded five injured and two missing persons.

The initial estimate of damaged houses reached PHP2.1 million, damage to infrastructures PHP20.8 million, and damage to agriculture PHP63.7 million.

Department of Agriculture-10 (DA-10) will provide PHP5,000 in financial assistance to rice farmers in February, to be sourced from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.

“We will (also) be distributing the fertilizer discount vouchers for the whole region, which total around PHP192 million. And for the RFFA (Rice Farmers Financial Assistance), we have PHP96 million to be disbursed and the funds are already deposited with the DBP (Development Bank of the Philippines) account,” DA-10 executive director Carlene Collado said during the visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Jan. 11.

Marcos directed the Department of Public Works and Highways to review flood control measures.

Gratitude

Heavily affected Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental experienced a repeat of nature’s wrath that submerged parts of the provinces on Christmas Eve last year.

Victims of the twin calamities were relieved to receive government aid.

“I am glad about the help extended to us, especially since we almost had nothing (salvaged from the flood),” Erminia Bernaldes said in the vernacular during the distribution of PHP5,000 in cash assistance and food packs in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, led by President Marcos.

Rolly Egoc of Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental, said his house in Barangay Talic was washed away on Dec. 26, 2022.

“We don’t have a house anymore, so we went to the barangay for refuge. I am now 55 years old and it is only now that I experienced this flood,” he said.

Given a chance to talk to the President, he said he would request assistance to rebuild his house. (Nef Luczon/PNA)