Kalinga included in ₱8.645-B disaster aid for 306 LGUs; Gov. Edduba thanks Marcos

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Governor James S. Edduba has welcomed the national government’s ₱8.645-billion Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program (DRRAP), which will benefit 306 local government units (LGUs) nationwide, including Kalinga.

Edduba attended the ceremonial turnover of the assistance led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace on November 5, 2026.

The funding is intended to help eligible LGUs repair and rehabilitate disaster-damaged infrastructure, restore public facilities, and support affected communities in recovering from calamities.

While Kalinga is among the beneficiary LGUs, its specific allocation and the projects to be funded under the program have yet to be disclosed.

Edduba thanked President Marcos for expediting the processing of rehabilitation assistance, which he said had been shortened from nearly a year to around four to six months.

He also assured that the provincial government would ensure the proper use of the funds through transparent implementation and monitoring of recovery projects.

Supporting Kalinga's recovery

The assistance comes as Kalinga continues to address the effects of natural disasters on its agricultural sector and infrastructure.

As of June 2026, a total of 2,840 farmers had been affected by the El Niño phenomenon, with 4,142.13 hectares of agricultural land damaged and an estimated 5,842.74 metric tons of produce lost, according to Provincial Agriculturist Nancy Aowat.

During the inter-agency Kapehan meeting on October 5, 2026, Aowat reported that provincial and municipal agriculture offices, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR), were conducting monitoring and validation activities to assess the effects of El Niño.

Kalinga has more than 47,000 hectares of agricultural land, mostly irrigated, and around 37,720 farming families. Its major agricultural products include rice, corn, coffee, and high-value crops.

In 2025, the province produced more than 138,000 metric tons of rice, including nearly 6,000 metric tons of heirloom rice.

Among the interventions being pursued to help farmers cope with changing weather conditions are solar-powered irrigation systems, pump engine sets, seeds, small water impounding projects, water collectors, and farm reservoirs. Farmers are also encouraged to practice rainwater harvesting, crop diversification, and other water-saving farming methods.

The province also continues to address infrastructure needs, particularly roads, bridges, irrigation facilities, and public buildings.

Kalinga's recovery needs were further underscored by the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Uwan in November 2025, which damaged agricultural areas, roads, bridges, schools, and houses in several municipalities. An agricultural damage report as of November 17, 2025, placed losses at more than ₱128 million.

The DRRAP assistance is expected to help beneficiary LGUs restore damaged infrastructure and public facilities while supporting the recovery of affected communities.

For Kalinga, where thousands of families depend on agriculture for their livelihood, the timely delivery of rehabilitation assistance is crucial to restoring damaged facilities, helping farmers recover, and strengthening the province's resilience against future disasters.