SUCCESSIVE TYPHOONS BROUGHT AT LEAST P10B LOSS TO AGRICULTURE AND RCEF TO PROVIDE THE NEEDED CASH ASSISTANCE TO HELP FARMERS RECOVER - Villar

On October 25, 2020, Typhoon Quinta made five landfalls in central Philippines, particularly in Southern Tagalog and Bicol Region, Regions VI and VII, NCR, Central Luzon, Cordilleras and Northern Luzon. According to reports a total of 115,181 families or 501,289 persons were affected in 2,255 barangays in Regions III, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, V, VI, VII and VIII. Around P4.6 billion worth of agricultural goods were damaged. On October 31, 2020, Super Typhoon Rolly, another extremely powerful tropical cyclone that made landfall in the Philippines in the province of Catanduanes, and affected the Bicol region and Southern Luzon. It left almost 100,000 homes destroyed including power, water and communication services in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, the Bicol Region, and the Cordilleras.

The Bicol Region, one of the worst-hit regions Bicol Region estimated the damage to agriculture to be around PHP2.9 billion affecting crops, livestock, fisheries, and agricultural facilities, with a total of 44,712 hectares of agricultural land destroyed. The provinces of Cavite, Catanduanes, and Camarines Sur were declared under the State of Calamity.

On November 1, 2020, Typhoon Ulysses, the strongest storm of the year that hit the Philippines, left death and destruction due to landslides, flooding, roads cut-off and heavy damaged to agriculture. The Department of Agriculture estimates that the damage reached

Php2.53 Billion, affecting at least 73,000 farmers, with over 71,000 hectares of agricultural land submerged in water.

To date, based on initial estimates of the DA, the agricultural damage from typhoons Quinta, Rolly, Ulysses reaches P10 billion and even more and it would take time, and a huge infusion of capital to help our farmers recover from the onslaught of these calamities. The Bureau of Customs reported that there is an approximately Php 5 Billion tariff collection in excess of the Php10 Billion collected in 2019(Php2.3) and in 2020 (Php3.0 as of September 30,2020) under RA 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law. The law provided that Congress can allocate this excess collection to the Department of Agriculture to help rice farmers including cash assistance.

Considering that the areas hardest hit are agricultural and are mostly into rice farming, the Senate through a Resolution filed by Senator Cynthia Villar is proposing that 2021 General Appropriations Act include a special provision that the excess amount collected be given as cash assistance to farmers owning one hectare and below to help them recover. The only qualification is that, the farmer beneficiaries should be registered in the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture, or the RSBSA to compensate for the loss of farm income and help them start anew.