The Department of Social Welfare and Development Negros Island Region has disbursed a total of ₱937,539,650 in financial relief to sugarcane farmers and farm laborers affected by the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation as of Saturday, November 7, DSWD NIR Regional Director Arwin Razo said Sunday.
The UPLIFT Disaster Assistance Program—has benefited a total of 91,202 individuals, consisting of 65,777 sugarcane farmers and 25,425 farm laborers in Negros Island, he said.
Negros Occidental received the largest share of assistance, recording 67,777 beneficiaries (49,675 farmers and 18,102 laborers) with total disbursements reaching ₱699,797,525.
District 5 of the province saw the highest payout at ₱277.4 million for 26,867 individuals, followed by District 6 with ₱165.4 million distributed to 16,024 beneficiaries.
In Negros Oriental, a total of 20,605 beneficiaries, comprising 14,870 farmers and 5,735 laborers, received financial assistance amounting to ₱208,625,625.
District 1 logged the highest disbursement in the province at ₱101.4 million across 10,020 beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, in Bacolod City, ₱29,116,500 was released to 2,820 beneficiaries, including 1,232 farmers and 1,588 laborers.
The UPLIFT Disaster Assistance Program aims to provide immediate financial relief to sugar sector workers whose livelihoods were disrupted by the RSSI outbreak that affected extensive sugarcane plantations across the Negros Island, Razo said.*
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