The Department of Agriculture in Region 11 (DA-11) turned over a check amounting to PHP7 million to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Davao Region (BFAR-11) on Monday to fund the recovery of fisherfolk in Davao Occidental.

In a public post, DA-11 said the fund was sourced from the 2025 Quick Response Fund, and the allocation will be used to rehabilitate coastal communities that lost their equipment and livelihood sources during the shearline flooding in 2024.

Through the fund, BFAR-11 will roll out livelihood assistance programs to help the affected communities rebuild and recover.

“This joint initiative reflects the continued commitment of DA-11 and BFAR-11 to support and protect the region’s most vulnerable sectors in the aftermath of natural disasters,” DA-11 said in a statement.

In January 2024, a powerful shearline brought heavy rains and severe flooding to Davao Occidental and the greater Davao Region.

Around 83,158 families were affected by the flooding caused by the shearline, leaving 1,164 families affected in Davao Occidental.

Heavy downpours from the shearline and a low-pressure area affected tens of thousands of families across Davao Region provinces, including hard-hit coastal and low-lying areas in Davao Occidental. (PNA)