LAOAG CITY – A total of 1,606 farmers in Batac City, Ilocos Norte affected by drought have received a total of PHP6.4 million as payment for clearing and maintaining bamboo areas in their communities through the national government’s cash-for-work program.
The program, funded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in collaboration with the Ilocos Norte provincial government,
aims to reinvigorate the bamboo industry in the province by hiring the affected farmers to work for 10 days in their villages and be paid PHP4,000.
Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc, in his speech during the distribution on Thursday, thanked the DSWD and the farmers for helping revive the province’s bamboo industry with a huge market potential both locally and overseas.
“We recognize the big potential of bamboo to boost the livelihood of our farmers. We want to develop this industry and you are part of it,” Manotoc told the farmer-beneficiaries.
The project highlights the significance of bamboo in water preservation and soil conservation and considers bamboo as a valuable source for future livelihood programs.
He also assured the farmers that the cash-for-work program including other support services to farmers will continue under the Marcos administration.
Batac City Mayor Albert Chua, on behalf of the farmer-beneficiaries, said the project does not only provide immediate financial relief to those affected by drought but also paves the way for long-term environmental and economic sustainability. (PNA)
