GUIUAN, EASTERN SAMAR – In simple rites held on September 24, 2015, Embassy of Japan’s First Secretary Kenji Terada, JICA’s Senior Representative Yuko Tanaka together with Guiuan SB of Committee on Agriculture Cornelio Sison, Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries Executive Director Ariel T. Cayanan, and around 500 beneficiaries, led the turnover ceremony for the “AKBay – Agrikultura: Kaagapay ng Bayang Pinoy (Agriculture: A Partner in Philippine Progress) Program Phase II” for Typhoon Yolanda-Affected Areas under the Japan Food Security Project for Underprivileged Farmers, (formerly known as the KR2 Program). Under Japan’s Official Development Assistance, the total fund support for this project is One Hundred Thirty Nine Million Nine Hundred Seventy Nine Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (P139,979,500.00).
This project aims to contribute to the Philippine Government’s recovery and rehabilitation efforts being provided to families in the agriculture and fishing communities in Typhoon Yolanda affected areas in Region VIII. It hopes to provide income-generating opportunities and help the displaced farmers and fishers re-establish their livelihood in areas where they were relocated. The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries of the Department of Agriculture is implementing this project.
Around 8,500 farmer and fisher families are the project’s target beneficiaries from four (4) badly-hit provinces namely: Leyte, Eastern Samar, Biliran and Western Samar. Grant assistance of farming plant materials or fishing boats and paraphernalia worth P15,000 per farmer/fisher household with no repayment are the project components.
Guiuan is the first landed place of Typhoon Yolanda, so serious damages all over the municipality. During the turnover, fishing boats, boat engines, seeds, farm inputs and equipment were distributed to 1,020 identified fisher folks and farm households of the area who were victims of the typhoon. Those inputs will improve the source of livelihood of the local residents, and also assist in fishing and farming activities in Typhoon Yolanda Affected Areas. (Eagle News Service/Embassy of Japan)
Link: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Typhoon Damage in the Central Philippines