Former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino has asked the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) to declare a state of calamity that will allow it to access calamity funds for activities that will lessen the effect of El Niño.
“I strongly urge that a state of calamity in the country be declared as early as now so that the calamity funds can start to be utilized for the preparation,” Tolentino said during a campaign rally in Bangued, Abra.
Tolentino was with former Philippine National Police chief Bato dela Rosa, Dong Mangudadatu, reelectionist Senator Koko Pimentel and former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go. All are senatorial bets of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP).
Local level partymates from the Cordillera and Ilocos region were also present during the rally.
El Niño is a threat to farmlands which will eventually affect the food supply of the country, so the country needs to come up with measures this year, Tolentino said.
“El Niño is a threat to the farmlands.”
“Farms have started to dry up and the water level in irrigation facilities have now lowered, affecting farmlands and plantations,” he added.
Tolentino said preparation remains to be the solution to any calamity, which the former Metro Manila Development Authority chief is also pushing as a campaign program.
“Preparation remains to be the solution to any calamity.”
He also said if given the chance to join the Senate, he wants to increase the 5 percent mandatory calamity fund to 15 percent, and allot a large portion for preparedness.
Tolentino added that part of the preparation is readying the farms and the farmers to future calamities.
“We have two agricultural failures- encouraging the children to engage in farming and addressing the aging population of farmers. The average age of farmers is 65,” he said.
“Palakasin natin ang agrikultura (Let us boost the country’s agriculture),” Tolentino stressed.
Agriculture is one of the priorities of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Tolentino also asked the people to continue supporting the President in achieving the administration’s priorities geared toward improving the people’s lives.
“Tulungan natin si Pangulong Duterte, tulungan natin ang PDP (Let us help President Duterte, let us help the PDP),” he said.
