By Zaldy Comanda BAGUIO CITY - Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos is pushing of the adaption of the Living Income for Farmers Emergency or ‘LIFE’ program for farmers who are the usual victims of calamities. Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos
(ERWIN BELEO/MANILA BULLETIN) “Every time a calamity strikes our country, the farmers are always the victims with the damage on their plants most especially rice plants,” Marcos said during a visit to the summer capital on Friday. She explained that under the program, farmers will be given attention and aid even in the absence of calamities, to support the government’s initiative to attain rice sufficiency. “We need to address the problems faced by farmers, which will redound to the betterment of the agricultural industry of the country.” Marcos said. She cited that aside from tourism, Ilocos Norte also has the development of agriculture as a primary focus through the distribution of farming equipment, irrigation projects, farm inputs, seeds and farm to market roads. She added that immediate assistance to the farmer families who are victims of calamities is needed to allow them to immediately plant, earn and provide for their families, which in the long run will benefit the country with sufficient supply of agricultural produce sold in the market. The governor is also asking the government to ease up the rules in the use of calamity funds of the local governments during calamities to help the victims, especially the farmers in their respective areas. “Our farmers need immediate assistance during and after a calamity and other emergencies so that they will be able to recover the soonest possible time and avoid a larger effect to the basic need of the country , which is food," said Marcos.