DAVAO CITY, (PNA) –- The Dept. of Agriculture regional office here has proposed an additional P300 million for the rehabilitation of agricultural farms devastated by typhoon Pablo in the provinces of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.
DA 11 regional director Remelyn Recoter said the fund formed part of the total P11 billion initial budget set aside by the national government for the typhoon Pablo rehabilitation works.
Originally the budget proposed was P39 billion but was cut to P11 billion, Recoter said adding that this budget has yet to be approved by the national government for ready release.
She said the P300 million budget is earmarked for rehabilitation most especially of abandoned areas which are mostly banana plantations in the above-two most hit provinces.
DA 11 she said has recommended to the affected banana farmers to shift to other crops like corn.
In the rehabilitation process, DA will prioritize small growers like in the distribution of planting materials and technology enhancement.
Recoter assured DA will deliver their supplies and services to the deserving beneficiaries.
This as she reiterated that under her administration, there will be no room for “SOP” or pay offs to DA employers by erring suppliers.
Recoter boasted that for now, no employees at DA 11 are involved in said “SOP” misconduct.