A Philippine church official appealed to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to prioritize the immediate release of government funds to farmers, who continue to suffer from the El Nino phenomenon.
"We are appealing to the newly-elected president to listen to the cries of hungry farmers, especially here in Mindanao. They have already suffered enough from this climate crisis. Why let them wait for too long when money is readily available?" said National Secretariat for Social Action/Caritas Philippines executive secretary Father Edwin Gariguez during a recent five-day Farmers’ National Sustainable Agriculture Training in Tagum City in Davao Oriental.
The priest emphasized that the government not only has the capacity, but the obligation to respond to the needs of hungry farmers and the poor, particularly those long affected by El Nino.
Father Gariguez also said Duterte, who ran with a platform of "change" and hails from Mindanao, would very well understand the plight of the farmers.
"He gives much hope to the people of Mindanao. We are hoping that the new government would heed the call of farmers, not just for the immediate release of funds, but also for genuine agrarian reform and sustainable agriculture," Father Gariguez said.