Senator Lito Lapid confirmed Sunday, April 7, that he is seeking re-election in the coming 2025 midterm elections.
Lapid, who is also an actor, said he is running for his fourth term under the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).
The senator was with his son, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) general manager Mark Lapid, and Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Emilio Yulo III as guests of the Himaya Festival in Himamaylan City on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Lapid has lauded the quick response of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the impact of the El Nino phenomenon.
Marcos has ordered agencies concerned to work together and establish a “whole-of-government approach” to ensure public safety and help farmers cope with the effects of a strong El Niño.
This is amidst Pagasa's report that El Niño may continue until August of this year.
Lapid insisted that the government immediately addressed the ongoing effects of the severe summer as it ensured adequate food supply and mitigated the damage to the local economy.
He was referring to the economic assistance provided by the Marcos government to the affected farmers and fishermen.
This includes the amount of P1.4 billion allocated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for Local Adaptation to Water Access or “Project Lawa” and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished or “Project Binhi.”
Both projects will provide Learning and Development Sessions (LDS) on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), and cash-for-work (CFW) and cash-for-training (CFT) to beneficiaries in priority areas exposed to the effects of El Niño.
"These programs of President BBM are a great help for the communities affected by El Nino to alleviate its impact on their livelihoods and ensure that they do not go hungry," Lapid stressed.
Marcos directed the Department of Agriculture to work with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to help affected farmers hurdle regulation barriers imposed by the Insurance Commission and make sure they receive immediate financial aid.
Lapid also praised DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. for acting with haste to mitigate the effects of El Nino.
This includes cloud-seeding, repair and rehabilitation of irrigation canals, livestock distribution, low-water use technology, and other economic assistance to farmers and fishermen.
As of April 3, more than P1.2 billion has been damaged to agriculture in the country because of El Niño.
According to the report, more than 30,000 farmers and fishermen are affected and the drought, which has damaged more than 26,000 hectares of crops in five regions.
At least 17 areas have declared a state of calamity due to El Niño impact.*