The Department of Agriculture (DA) has distributed P1.9 billion worth of inputs and assistance to farmers and fisherfolk whose livelihoods were affected by typhoons, the Taal Volcano eruption and the African swine fever (Asf)—all exacerbated by the lockdowns triggered by the new coronavirus pandemic. The agency released an initial P1.9 billion from its quick response fund (QRF) and was distributed through its regional field offices to help food producers recover from their losses and start anew. “The big chunk of the QRF budget went to indemnify Asf-affected hog raisers in 2019 and early this year, and farmers and fishers whose crops, livestock animals and aquaculture projects were damaged by typhoons and the eruption of Taal Volcano,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.

Ocampo, K. R. (2020, June 20). Farmers, fisherfolk get ₱1.9B in assistance from gov't. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. B1.