P300-M LOAN SA FARMERS

MAGKAKALOOB ang Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) ng P300 milyong halaga ng pautang sa mga magsasaka sa Northern Luzon na naapektuhan ng bagyong Ompong para matulungan silang makarekober.

Ang halaga ay base sa inisyal na pagtaya ng LANDBANK sa pinsala sa Ompong-affected clients ng bang-ko.

Ayon sa LANDBANK, patuloy nilang ina-assess ang lawak ng pinsala ng bagyo upang matugunan ang financing needs ng kanilang mga kliyente at mabigyan sila ng karampatang tulong.

“We understand how difficult it is to rebuild and recover after a calamity, which is why LANDBANK extends loan restructuring and rehabilitation loans to assist our fellow Filipinos, especially farmers, in getting back on their feet,” wika ni LANDBANK President and CEO Alex V. Buenaventura.

Ang P300-million na halaga ng loans ay magmumula sa Calamity Rehabilitation Support (CARES) program ng LANDBANK, na flagship calamity assistance programs ng bangko.

Sinabi ng LANDBANK  na inaprubahan na nito ang kabuuang P4.4 billion loan sa ilalim ng CARES program sa first half. Sa naturang halaga, nasa P3.8 billion na ang ipinalabas sa may 191 borrowers.

“Of this amount, P1.1 billion was extended to 47 bank conduits (42 cooperatives, four countryside financial institutions (CFIs), one non-government organization or NGO) which have extended equally concessional rates to 1,830 small farmers and fishers and 4,984 microenterprises and SMEs,” ayon sa LANDBANK.

Bukod dito, sinabi ng LANDBANK na papayagan nila ang kanilang Ompong-affected clients na ma-restructure ang kanilang loan accounts o palawigin ang panahon ng pagbabayad ng kanilang utang.

“The payment to existing short term loan accounts of LANDBANK customers who were affected by typhoon and other natural or man-made calamities may be restructured or extended up to a maximum of five years,” pahayag ng bangko.

“Meanwhile, term loan accounts may also be restructured for additional five years over their remaining term at the time of calamity. The five-year loan repayment terms shall be inclusive of a one-year grace period (deferred payment) on both principal and interest repayments in order to help the customers focus initially on restoration and rebuilding,” dagdag pa nito. JASPER ARCALAS