SOME 6,000 families will benefit from a project intended to restore and strengthen food security in typhoon-affected areas in Bicol region.

        The project is set to be implemented this year by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture with funding assistance from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) amounting to about P14 million.

        The project which will be implemented in the provinces of Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Camarines Sur will run for only a year starting January 2008. It will provide agricultural inputs such as coconut seed (nuts), abaca suckers, fruit trees and assorted vegetable seeds, corn seeds, organic fertilizers and small farm tools.

        The projects also aim to rehabilitate livelihoods through better technology transfer in a sustainable manner and to enhance capabilities of farmer’s organization and communities in dealing with natural calamities.

        According to Dr. Jaime G. Montesur, project team leader, the proposed criteria for selection of beneficiaries are as follows: 1) population worst hit by typhoons, 2) women-headed family; 3) families with handicap members; 4) families which have not received any livelihood assistance; 5) families with an estimated monthly income of less than P1,000; 6) native of the place and 7) member of community/farmer organization.

        During the first meeting of the steering committee this year held on January 8 in Legazpi City, Montesur presented updates on the project. He said the priority municipalities for coconut rehabilitation are the towns of Bacacay, Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Jovellar, Libon, Ligao, Malilipot, Malinao, Polangui, Rapu-Rapu, Sto. Domingo, Tiwi and the cities of Legazpi and Tabaco for Albay province; the towns of Pasacao and Buhi in Camarines Sur; Bagamanoc for Catanduanes; Casiguran, Castilla, Magallanes, Prieto Diaz, Barcelona and Sorsogon City for Sorsogon province.

        For abaca rehabilitation the target municipalities are Malinao, Tiwi and Tabaco City of Albay; Goa, Sangay and Presentacion for Camarines Sur; Gubat, Bulusan and Sorsogon City for Sorsogon province.

        This project was conceptualized as an offshoot of the assessment of damages and needs conducted jointly by the DA and the FAO in 2007 after successive typhoons devastated Bicol region in the last quarter of 2006. The project proposal was crafted after series of consultations with farmers groups and LGUs.

        The other members of the project steering committee who attended the meeting were: DA agriculture executive director Dr. Jose V. Dayao; Mr. Kazuyuki Tsurumi and Mr. Arcadio Cruz, FAO representatives; Ms. Arantxa del Val Hurtado, representative of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation; Director Zenaida Villegas, Director of ACEF representing the DA Central Office; Governor Sally Lee of Sorsogon and representatives of the governors of Albay, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes. Also present were Alfredo Rillo, regional manager of the Philippine Coconut Authority, Dr. Edith Lomerio, regional director of the Fiber Industry Development Authority, Engineer Luis Banua of the NEDA, Ms. Marilyn V. Sta. Catalina, DA OIC – Asst. ARD for Field Operations, Emily Kare, former Malinao mayor and currently program coordinator of Albay Mabuhay Business Operations (AMBO) a group also assisting typhoon victims in Albay.

        The Project Management team of this project is currently holding office at the DA regional office compound at San Agustin, Pili, Camarines Sur.