PBBM, namahagi ng mahigit P60M sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda ng Zamboanga City at karatig na lugar;
Pamahalaan, pinaghahandaan na rin ang kanilang mga magiging hakbang para sa pagdating ng #LaNiñaPH
Pamahalaan, pinaghahandaan na rin ang kanilang mga magiging hakbang para sa pagdating ng #LaNiñaPH
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NewsTranscript
00:00 [Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama and Task Force El Nino speaking]
00:26 Yesterday, President Marcos Jr. visited Zamboanga City to share assistance to farmers and fishermen.
00:33 Asek, how much financial assistance did the President give to the area?
00:39 [Asek and Ate El Nino speaking]
01:08 Yesterday, he was the first presidential assistant. We want to emphasize what the President mentioned yesterday, that he is the one who brought our people closer.
01:26 He is confident that no region will be left behind and no province will benefit from the help that El Nino is giving to the affected.
01:36 Asek Joey, good afternoon. From this financial assistance, how many beneficiaries were benefited from this?
01:44 [Asek El Nino speaking]
01:46 Asek Arnel, based on the validation of the Department of Agriculture, there are more than 4,000 in Zamboanga Peninsula alone.
01:59 You mentioned earlier in the opening of your program that the President is leading in Region 12.
02:06 That was added because of the help that was given to the provinces in Region 12.
02:13 Even though it is a small number, and some will say that the fund was given is big, the LGU with the help of the DA and DSWD will identify other beneficiaries
02:30 where they can get financial assistance from the President.
02:37 Aside from financial assistance, what other help was received by our countrymen in visiting President Marcos Jr. yesterday in Zamboanga City?
02:47 Yes. The President was with us in various places like Social Welfare and Development.
02:57 Agriculture Secretary Tew Laurel was also there. DILG Secretary Abalo was also there.
03:04 So there were many help, just like what the President said and the whole of government approach is always emphasized.
03:10 Aside from the rice and farm inputs that the DA is giving, the DSWD also has financial assistance.
03:20 There is also work that is being given through the program of DOLE and the cash for work program of DSWD.
03:29 So there were many help, not only from the office of the President, but from the onset of El Nino,
03:39 from the moment we received requests for help, it was one after another. Just like what the President said to Sultan Kudarat,
03:50 he said that only a portion of the help is being given now, but it will continue and additional help will be given to those affected by El Nino.
04:01 How is your monitoring of the places affected by El Nino? Are there places that are still possible to declare a state of calamity?
04:13 Every day, the cities and municipalities that are declaring a state of calamity are increasing.
04:22 As of today, in 276 cities and municipalities, we can still receive reports about the declaration of state of calamity.
04:34 So among those, nine entire provinces and actually one region, BARMM,
04:42 many of the provinces that declared a state of calamity are in Mindanao, including South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
04:53 That's why those were the places that were visited by the President first because aside from being close to the President's heart, Mindanao,
05:02 it is one of the first affected. Zamboanga Peninsula, when El Nino started, it was one of the first regions that was affected.
05:12 Even though the hope that the effects of El Nino will be lessened, there is still a heat wave that has an effect on health,
05:21 on agriculture, and on our fishing industry. That's why we still need to monitor and there is a possibility that the heat wave will still affect our provinces in the coming weeks.
05:35 Secretary Joey, the hope that we are at the end of the possible effects of El Nino has been mentioned.
05:41 We are expecting that the flood will possibly enter.
05:45 The President has already ordered the local governments to prepare for El Nino. What are the plans for this?
05:53 Aside from the directive of President Arnel that LGUs should prepare, particularly for hazard mapping or identifying flood prone areas,
06:06 there are also preparations being made by DPWH, DENR, and the National Irrigation Administration and DA.
06:16 Actually, on Tuesday, in the sectoral meeting, the agencies that I mentioned were present in the arrangement of flood control projects as a preparation for El Nino.
06:27 Aside from the flood control projects, the dams that will be activated or online through NIA, DPWH is also doing flood control projects.
06:41 Aside from this, the desilting and dredging of our rivers because we know that our rivers are already low and cannot receive water from heavy rainfall.
06:55 In the assistance of the task force El Nino, we discussed the establishment of more impounding facilities or catchment systems
07:08 to receive excess water from heavy rainfall in the Ulana Dulot and Laniña.
07:16 Aside from the directive of the President, we can use that water for drought, whether it's an El Nino year or not,
07:27 if it's a regular summer season or drought, we can use the excess water from heavy rainfall.
07:35 That's right, Asec Joey. Because El Nino and Laniña, it happens every two to five years and we are preparing for the more frequent arrival of this.
07:46 We at the DA are also preparing for Laniña and every El Nino that is heavy, it has a Laniña that is followed.
07:55 So that is also what we are preparing for, Asec Joey.
07:58 Please send a message to our fellow countrymen, Asec Joey.
08:01 Yes. Even though Asec Arnel said that El Nino is already low, we still have a few weeks in May to prepare and to abate the effect of El Nino
08:20 in terms of our food supply, water supply and electricity.
08:25 So as long as El Nino is still there and we are not yet terminating it and we will transition to Laniña in the coming months,
08:33 we should still be ready because the heat of El Nino is still there.
08:42 In Laniña, even though we still have a few weeks or months to prepare in the eventuality that heavy rain will fall,
08:56 we should also be prepared although we are praying that the El Nino will not be severe.
09:04 Instead, we should still be prepared and as the President said in his visit here in Mindanao,
09:12 we should be united and unified to face whatever crisis or calamity will come our way in the coming weeks or months.
09:24 Thank you very much for your time.
09:26 PCO Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama, the spokesperson of the Task Force El Nino.