President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited anew Caraga Region on September 29, 2023,  to cement his action items on food affordability and sufficiency,  specifically to the disaster-prone island of Siargao and in the Province of Dinagat Islands (PDI).

As frontlines in the Pacific Ring of Fire, these areas are at high risk of disaster, calamities, and climate change, tagging these areas under the extreme affected weather category, as affirmed by Super Typhoon (STY) Odette.

The  geographic locations and the absence of bridges and connectivity to the mainland left everyone in the islands paid the least attention to government services and economic activities, including higher prices on prime commodities and incidents of malnutrition and poverty, among others, where residents struggle almost daily to make ends meet.

With this, President Marcos Jr. attended the regional launch of the Food Strategic Transfers and Alternative Measures Program (Food STAMP), headed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which  helped 50 beneficiaries from the towns of Dapa, Del Carmen, and Sta. Monica, all in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte.

The beneficiaries of the Food STAMP were identified as poor households using the DSWD Listahan 3 through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, who mostly were families with children 0-5 years old, single parents, pregnant, and lactating mothers, who received the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards with P3,000 credits each for six months, that would allow them to purchase rice, bread, poultry meat, fish, vegetable,s and other food items included in the menu of the Food Basket, as developed and certified by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute to ensure right nutrition is prepared on the table for these vulnerable families.

The program beneficiaries were able to immediately make use of the EBT card credits through the availability of the stalls under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo and other accredited retail partners.

A no-no to price manipulators

Moreover, the Chief Executive personally handed over sacks of premium rice to 2,265 beneficiaries on the said island under the rice assistance program.

To complete the presidential visit, President Marcos did not waste time to wing his way and personally handed over another 1,000 sacks of rice to the ardent Listahan 3 beneficiaries in another typhoon-hit Province of Dinagat Islands.

Benita Carsolim, 77 years old and a resident of Barangay Wilson, San Jose of the said province, thanked the President for visiting the place and for the distribution of rice assistance., 

“Kalipay gyud kaayo nako nga nakabisita si Presidente Marcos Jr. ug naghatag ug bugas sa sama lang nako nga senior na para makakaon ang akong pamilya [ I am thankful that President Marcos Jr. visited us and gave rice to senior citizens like me so my family can eat well],” he said.

Governor Nilo P. Demerey Jr. of the Province of Dinagat Islands welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during his visit to the island spotlighting  the accomplishments of the province as a schistosomiasis-free, malaria-free, rabies-free, insurgency-free, drug-cleared province and a frequent recipient of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).

Gov. Demerey also sought help in transforming the area from a vulnerable zone of disaster, calamity, and isolation to a more progressive province through the construction of PDI airport, RoRo ports, bridges, and road networks that will surely boost tourism and economic activities in the province.

"We sincerely thank you [Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] for coming here in our province and for the remarkable effort of giving sacks of rice to the Dinagatnons. Thank you for your generosity. On the other hand, I want to take this opportunity to seek support from the national government for the enhancement and improvement of access and connectivity. Please help us propel into a more digitally-capable place leading to a more progressive economy,” said the governor in a humble request to the Chief Executive.

With sincerity, PBBM was glad to see the genuine smiles and warm welcome of the Caraganons. He witnessed the ongoing infra rehabilitation in these badly-hit areas by  STY Odette saying, “We should always remember that the rehabilitation program and process should anchor on the principle of “Build Better,” to ensure infrastructure and the  community this time are already resilient." (RLE,PIA-PDI)