CANDABA - Local elected officials in the province recently urged the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) to impose moratorium on the collection of dues and contribution to farmers who suffered financial reverses due to calamity.
Governor Pineda requested NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel to exempt the farmers particularly those in the 4th district of Pampanga from paying their obligation until next planting season to help them recover their losses.
"Nandito si administrator Nangel ng NIA, nais ko sanang hilingin na huwag muna na nating singilin ang ating mga magsasaka dahil halos lahat ng pananim natin dito ay na wash out. Yung iba aanihin na lamang inabutan pa ng kalamidad. Kawawa naman ang ating mga magsasaka," Pineda said.
Nangel, who also attended the farmers' forum in San Luis town together with Pineda and other mayors, assured the farmers of equitable collections based on the validated reports by the respective local government units. "We will see what we can do to help our farmers here," he added.
He likewise stressed that for those farmers who were totally deprived of earnings as the ready to harvest 'palay' were destroyed by floodwaters, they will be given exemption. However, those farmers who still harvest up to the extent of 60 percent, they still need to pay 50 percent of their total obligation.
In Pampanga, an estimated of P1.3 billion worth of crops had been destroyed by Typhoon Pedring. Severely affected is the town of Candaba where some P130 million worth of ready-to-harvest palay were destroyed, According to Mayor Jerry Pelayo said.
"Dito sa amin 85 percent ay pagsasaka ang ikinabubuhay ng ating mga mamamayan. Wala pong natira sa tanim na palay sa nagdaang bagyo kaya ng dumating si Secretary Alcala ng Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka ay tuwang tuwa po kami dahil alam namin matutulungan ang aming bayan na makabawi sa agrikultura," San Luis Mayor Venancio Macapagal lamented.