Senator Cynthia A. Villar and Secretary Procy Alcala of the Department of Agriculture visited six (6) towns in Region 8 on August 31, 2014, as part of the Yolanda Rehabilitation Program of the DA. The towns are Mercedes, Balangiga, Giporlos, Lawaan in Eastern Samar and Marabut and Basey in Western Samar.
The Department of Agriculture brought additional farm inputs like small ruminants – goats and sheep; vegetable seeds including mung beans, pili planting materials and root crops ( cassava, sweet potato) for farm diversification, short season and high value crops and gill nets and motor for bancas from BFAR Ahon Program for fishermen. Senator Villar brought roofing materials for 100 families per location, bags of organic fertilizer for vegetable garden and Las Pinas Red Cross gift packs. Also present are USEC Ron Palad, Asec Ed De Luna, Asec Dong Cusio of the Office of the President and DA Reg. 8 Executive Director Bernadette San Juan together with Assistant Director Wilson Cerbito and ATI Reg. 8 Vilma Patindol.
The mayors of the towns were there to greet the visitors – Mercedes Mayor Enrique Cabos, Giporlos Mayor Mark Biong, Balangiga- Mayor Viscuso de Lira, Lawaan- Mayor Candida Gabornes, Marabut – VM Joy Rojas and Basey – Mayor Junji Ponferrada.