The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will provide cash-for-work activities to the residents of Catanduanes province who were severely affected by Typhoons Quinta and Rolly last Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, respectively.

Gov. Joseph Cua, in an interview on Wednesday, said each resident will be paid PHP5,000 for 15 days of work, which could include helping in the rehabilitation efforts for damaged houses and infrastructure and clearing operations.

He said that the DA will also allocate some PHP100 million in assistance to the affected abaca farmers in Catanduanes.

Cua noted that the major source of livelihood of Catandonganons is abaca farming and processing.

“In fact, the abaca industry in Catanduanes is contributing up to PHP150 million to the province’s coffers a month,” he said.

Catanduanes, according to the governor, is in dire need of the national government’s recovery programs due to the magnitude of the destruction that “Quinta” and “Rolly” left in the island province.

He also said Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go handed to him a PHP10-million cheque when he, accompanied by DOLE Sec. Sylvestre Bello III and DA Sec. William Dar, conducted an ocular inspection of the damage left by “Rolly” in Catanduanes last Tuesday.

“Sen. Go handed to me a PHP10-million cheque coming from President Duterte,” Cua said.

He expressed gratitude for the help coming from different sectors, including non-government organizations (NGOs) that are continually pouring into the province.

Some 15,000 houses were flattened to the ground across Catanduanes when “Rolly” barrelled through the island with wind gustiness of up to 310 kilometers per hour.

The province remains without electricity and internet connections, and very scarce water supply even as rehabilitation efforts have continued for over a week now.

Catanduanes is facing the Pacific Ocean and is hit by strong howlers every year. (PNA)