A faith no storm can break

Farming household beneficiaries in Samar thank the people of Japan for the assistance they received that will help them re-establish their livelihood.

Agriculture and fisheries have been their major source of livelihood. After typhoon Yolanda’s onslaught, the people of Samar were left with almost nothing. But their resiliency and faith enabled them to weather the storm that destroyed their livelihood and properties.

Farming household beneficiaries in Samar thank the people of Japan for the assistance they received that will help them re-establish their livelihood.

“With your innate resilience and strong faith, you were able to weather the storm and overcome such misfortune. I salute all of you for your strong and optimistic spirit,” said Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) Executive Director Ariel Cayanan as he recalled the disaster in Region VIII in November 2013.

“The recovery and rehabilitation of the devastated families here in the region was also made possible through the efforts and support of different institutions from the private and public sectors. Now, the Government of Japan furthers these initiatives through the AKBay Program Phase II,” added Dir. Cayanan as he spoke to around a thousand farming households in the towns of Sta. Rita and Basey in Samar during the Ceremonial Handover of Livelihood Projects to Yolanda survivors last April 27

The AKBay Program Phase II, an initiative for the typhoon Yolanda-affected areas, is funded under the Japanese Grant Assistance for the Food Security Project for Underprivileged Farmers, or 2KR Program.

Meanwhile, Japan First Secretary of Agriculture Kenji Terada shared his hope that the farmer beneficiaries will contribute to the Department of Agriculture through providing sufficient food to the Filipino people.

On the other hand, Japan International Cooperation Agency Chief Representative Noriaki Niwa explained that the AKBay Phase II Program aims to revive the livelihood in typhoon-affected areas by providing income-generating opportunities such as farm inputs and fishing boats to 8, 500 farming and fishing households.

Towards food sufficiency

PCAF Exec. Dir. Ariel Cayanan, DA-Region VIII Technical Dir. Wilson Cerbito, Samar Provincial Administrator Romeo Reales, AKBay Provincial Coordinator John Meniano and Basey MAFC Chairperson Pio Bacayo talk to farmer-beneficiaries who are eager to receive farming inputs.

“Let us not be dependent on the government. I believe that we all have our own potentials that can help our country,” Samar Provincial Administrator Romeo Reales reminded the beneficiaries of the AKBay Program.

“We did not expect to receive this much.” Rosmelita Mendez, one of the farmer-beneficiaries, emotionally shared.

“Let us enrich what we have by attending more trainings such as the Farmers’ Field School. I am a woman and I have been actively doing my part in improving the quality of our life. I share with my husband what I learn in the trainings that I attended,” she added as she encouraged women to do their part in nation-building.

“We couldn’t thank the government of Japan enough. We were given a complete package worth P15,000 of livelihood inputs – from trainings to seeds, fertilizers and farm tools such as bolo, itak, shovel, hoe, rake, water sprinkler, knapsack sprayer and a 200-liter drum ,” Arsenio Nieva, another farmer-beneficiary said in their local language.

“We promise to use these tools in tilling our lands to help improve the economy of our community,” he added.

Farming and fishing household beneficiaries in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, where typhoon Yolanda made its first landfall, will also receive livelihood projects in May.