The Regional Development Council (RDC-7) has supported the three socio-economic points of Gov. Arthur Yap to help essential sectors and financing institution clients affected by the lingering COVID-19 crisis.
Topping the highest Bohol official’s agenda is for the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to lend out to the local government units (LGUs) at a low or zero interest rate.
The money will assist the small businesses, agriculture so that the farmers can increase production, and water projects.
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will also get assistance from the LGUs out of the easy LBP and DPB financing.
They need government support for the gradual recovery of their widespread individual industries under the so-called new normal forced by the viral pandemic.
During its full council meeting via videoconference on Monday, the RDC also supported Yap’s call on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to allow the debtors to restructure their loans.
The governor batted for a loan restructuring that is without penalties or surcharges.
Yap explained that the normal policy of the BSP is to impose penalties on restructured loans since the latter are considered failed loans.
Tourism’s transport sector, for example, has lost income as an impact of the pandemic with nothing to pay for their accumulating car financing debts with the banks.
Thirdly, Yap mustered the backing of the influential regional body to coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) so that Central Visayas can be able to absorb the companies leaving China.
Five days after the RDC meeting, the governor visited some barangays in Duero, Jagna, Lila, Dimiao, Valencia and Garcia-Hernandez “in search of water sources.”
“We have to increase our capability to produce food, and water is the basic requirement aside from soil,” he told the local officials and farmers.
In his visit to the irrigators in Antequera and Maribojoc towns two days earlier, Yap reiterated his farm area twin thrusts in dealing with the pandemic—enhanced food security and prevention of the spread of the virus.
Water, he said, should be available to the farms and households so that food production will improve and people can observe hygiene and sanitation.
His administration has kept exploring possible water sources that can be tapped in the barangays. (PRIMER)