SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET URGENTLY NEEDED TO HELP
TYPHOON VICTIMS, ADDRESS AGRI LOSSES - PANGILINAN

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries, called on fellow legislators to enact a supplemental budget for agriculture in the wake of heavy damages resulting from Typhoon "Juan".

"Congress should consider enacting a supplemental budget to address the damage wrought by typhoon Juan. Damage to agriculture alone is at P7.5 billion and rising, yet the calamity fund for 2010 is nearly depleted. We must act swiftly and allocate the needed funds to ensure that rehabilitation isn't hampered by lack of funds," Pangilinan recommended.

"The typhoon Juan that just passed highlighted the inadequacy of the calamity fund. The remaining P2-B calamity fund for 2010, even with the addition of the P5-B calamity fund for 2011, will still not be sufficient against the damages of one super-typhoon." [Corrected figures]

According to the Department of Agriculture's Situationer Report No. 174, released on the afternoon of October 22, the total damage from Typhoon Juan has reached P7.55 billion worth of crops, livestock, poultry, and fisheries. The figures may still rise in coming days.

"Without the funds, rehabilitation efforts will be meaningless and our people's suffering will not be abated," Pangilinan pointed out. "Let's act now to ensure that we can provide our people with a cushion to soften the blows of all this damage. The sooner we allocate funds, the sooner the sooner our countrymen can rise back on their feet."