Philippines implements various social welfare and agricultural aid programs

The Philippine government is implementing various social welfare and agricultural assistance programs across the country. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is currently prepositioning family food packs and relief goods in Luzon and Visayas hubs to prepare for a low pressure area (LPA) being monitored within the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

In Negros Oriental, the DSWD has released approximately PHP 51.7 million in emergency cash assistance to over 5,100 small sugarcane farmers affected by red-striped soft-scale insect (RSSI) infestations. This aid is distributed through the Emergency Cash Transfer programme to help farmers recover from the pest impact.

In the Caraga region, the Department of Agriculture has allocated over PHP 13.9 million to support the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP), providing seeds, fertilizers, and greenhouse facilities to enhance food security. Additionally, in Calamba City, local authorities have begun distributing 20-kilogram bags of rice to over 36,000 vulnerable residents, funded by an PHP 87 million allocation from the Local Government Support Fund.