MANILA — Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has urged government agencies to provide swift and additional assistance to farmers and fisherfolk affected by Typhoons Tino and Uwan, which have severely damaged the country’s agricultural sector.

The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, noted that the twin typhoons struck during the harvest season, hitting major rice- and crop-producing areas.

“Lalo na sa agrikultura malaki ang naging pinsala dahil anihan sa maraming lugar—sa Nueva Ecija, sa Isabela, Pampanga, Tarlac—so ang panawagan natin mabilis na kumilos ang ating Department of Agriculture para doon sa disaster relief,” Pangilinan said in an ambush interview.

“Dagdag na suporta para makapag punla muli ang ating mga magsasaka at yung direktang assistance mismo—pati yung damage, yung crop insurance ay mapabilis para makapag tanim muli ang ating mga magsasaka,” he added.

Pangilinan said his office has been coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for clearing operations in farmlands affected by the typhoons.

On Monday, the senator met via Zoom with Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival to facilitate the delivery of critical assistance to the province following Typhoon Tino’s devastation in the south. He also said he plans to visit the province soon to assess rehabilitation efforts and long-term recovery needs.

Through his office, Pangilinan also helped facilitate the distribution of additional DSWD food packs to evacuees in Cebu City.