FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. Senator Imee Marcos (middle) and other officials pose with the 1,000 beneficiaries of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Urdaneta City on Thursday (April 20, 2023). Each of the recipients received PHP3,000. (Photo by Senator Imee Marcos' Facebook page)
POZORRUBIO, Pangasinan – Some 3,000 Pangasinense farmers, agri-workers, senior citizens, women, and other locals from different sectors on Thursday received financial assistance from the national government through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The beneficiaries came from Urdaneta City, and the towns of Umingan and Pozorrubio, and each received PHP3,000 during a ceremonial distribution led by Senator Imee Marcos.
“Ito ay ayuda sa ating mga kababayan mula sa national government (This is an aid to our countrymen from the national government),” she said.
The AICS serves as a social safety net or stop-gap measure to support the recovery of individuals and families suffering from unexpected life events or crises, the DSWD said.
Marcos also pledged PHP5 million to farmers in Pozorrubio town through its local government unit (LGU).
“Alam natin napakadaming problema sa agrikultura. Kulang sa fertilizers. Kaya maganda yong organic or composting. Kahit papano maganda presyo ng palay ngayon at least naka-recover kaunti (We know that there are a lot of problems in our agriculture sector. There is a shortage in the supply of fertilizer. That’s why it is better to use organic or composting. The price of palay has improved and recovered a little),” she said.
She said an advanced system in cropping could help farmers address the problems due to El Niño.
Marcos also asked the LGU and the provincial government to update the list in their Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture even as she encouraged farmers to register to avail of government assistance and projects.
She also particularly urged women to form their cooperatives or associations to avail of livelihood projects from the national government just like other cooperatives in the province. (PNA)
