NATION

DSWD distributes P31 million in aid to drought-hit Camarines Norte farmers

Sean A. Magbanua · Nov 8, 2026, 4:28 PM

A farmer-beneficiary in Camarines Norte received P10,000 in Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) assistance from the DSWD Bicol Region last week. — Photo courtesy of DSWD Field Office V

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed more than P31 million in financial assistance to farmers affected by El Niño in Camarines Norte, the agency reported Sunday.

“Just the other day, in Capalonga, Camarines Norte, where we distributed emergency cash transfers (ECT) to farmers whose crops were devastated by the drought they are experiencing,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a DZBB interview on Sunday.

“In Capalonga and Paracale, Camarines Norte, we distributed more than P31 million in financial assistance through Field Office V,” she added.

The DSWD Bicol distributed P20,653,500 to 1,967 beneficiaries in Capalonga from 5 to 6 November, while P10,521,000 was provided to 1,002 farmers in Paracale on Friday.

Dumlao said other areas in Camarines Norte are also scheduled to receive ECT payouts of P10,000 each this week and next week.

She added that the agency had engaged with farmers who had stopped planting because of the drought, with some expressing reluctance to resume farming for fear that their crops would again be destroyed.

“They are thankful that we were able to extend financial assistance to them despite everything, so that somehow, their needs can also be addressed,” Dumlao said.

DSWD ramps up regional support

The DSWD also reported providing more than P141 million in assistance to corn and rice farmers in Region 2, particularly in Isabela and Cagayan, who were affected by the drought. The assistance included emergency cash transfers and family food packs.

Dumlao said farmers identified by local government units as the sector most severely affected by the drought are being prioritized for ECT assistance.

Based on its latest report, the DSWD recorded more than 191,000 families affected by El Niño across Region 2, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Region 5, Region 12, and CARAGA. The agency had distributed more than P189 million in humanitarian assistance as of Saturday, 7 November.

“We expect this figure to increase sapagkat may mga reports pa na dumarating,” Dumlao said.

The DSWD initially distributed assistance in Region 2, followed by a more recent payout in Camarines Norte, one of the provinces in the Bicol Region affected by El Niño.