Luna, Apayao— With the aim to mitigate the adverse impact of the El Niño phenomenon, especially on the agriculture and fisheries sectors in the region, the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD FO CAR) spearheaded the launching of financial assistance under the Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolk, Families-Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (PAFFF-AKAP) on July 19, 2024.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian led the distribution of P10,000.00 to each of the 10,000 beneficiaries—2,500 of which was handed over at the Bienvenido G. Verzola Jr. Memorial Sports Complex in the town of Luna and in simultaneous payouts in the municipalities of Pudtol, Flora, Santa Marcela, Calanasan, Kabugao and Conner in Apayao.

DSWD FO CAR Regional Director Maria Atitiw Catbagan-Aplaten, DSWD-CAR Assistant RD for Operations Enrique H. Gascon, Jr. and the team from the DSWD FO CAR and the Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) Office – Apayao facilitated the event, which was held in close coordination with the respective Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices of the Local Government Units (LGU) of the said seven towns and the Office of the Lone District Representative of Apayao.

In her message, RD Aplaten assured the DSWD FO CAR’s continuous support towards those belonging to the vulnerable sector such as El Niño-hit families and individuals in the region.

“We are up not just for providing aid during typhoons and other calamities but also during drought—which is also a crisis. DSWD is here to help them recover by providing assistance to those affected by the El Niño,” Dir. Aplaten said.

The AKAP is the recently launched program of the DSWD that aims to protect minimum wage earners from economic challenges posed by inflation, with social aid being provided to individuals who may not have access to regular forms of assistance because they do not belong to the poorest population. ###DSWD-CAR Social Marketing Unit –Christian Robert M. Sandoval, Information Officer II