Charles Teves
Senator Cynthia Villar urged farmers to consider planting root crops during the typhoon season in light of the P3 billion in damage caused by the catastrophic tropical storm Paeng to the agriculture industry.
Villar made these remarks on the sidelines of the Department of Agriculture’s 8th Organic Agriculture Month celebration on Monday (November 7). She stated that root crops such as cassava and sweet potato are unlikely to be harmed by heavy rains or flooding.
Villar suggested that farmers also investigate the possibility of shifting the planting season in order to protect their crops from adverse weather conditions.
The senator shared, “Nagdi-discuss na rin kami kung paano ang gagawin. Sabi nila, ia-adjust yung planting season na iniiwasan ‘yung bagyo para hindi tatamaan ‘yung crops ng bagyo.”
Despite her appropriate suggestion, Villar was still blasted by netizens for not noting that flooding isn’t the only problem farmers face.
Actually, masustansya talaga ang camote. Dapat ipromote. Pero di lang bagyo problem ng farmers, land conversion din at rice importation. Wag umiwas sa tunay na issue. #PassLandUseAct https://t.co/VmXDGTToZW
— Teddy B. Baguilat (@TeddyBaguilatJr) November 7, 2022
Matuto kang kumain ng Ano, yong ano kamote @Cynthia_Villar charrrr!!! Di lang naman bagyo ang problema ng mga farmers.. 🙄
— 리나 Rina (@HorizonRinz) November 7, 2022
impact of disliking research https://t.co/LHQytwRfNy
— JP (@dumidyeypee) November 7, 2022
Journalist Frederico Pascual noted Villar’s tactics to replace farmlands with her family’s subdivisions.
Ask ko lang po: Ano naman po ang magandang gawin kung yung lupang dapat masasaka ay ginawang subdivision at di na matamnan ng kahit kamote? https://t.co/jqa7NSdaS5
— Federico Pascual🇵🇭 (@FDPascual) November 7, 2022
According to the most recent information made available by the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), 81,866 people working in agriculture and fishing were impacted by the severe tropical storm Paeng. It was projected that there was a loss of 113.5 million pesos worth of livestock, poultry, and fisheries.
The current estimate of the cost of damages to infrastructure caused by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (known internationally as Nalgae) has reached P4.3 billion.
