He says that recovery and support measures will be extended, in different forms, to all provinces declared under red alert, where various sectors of the economy suffered damage due to the rains.

San José de Ocoa / Barahona. – President Luis Abinader led a tour this Friday in the provinces of San José de Ocoa and Barahona, where he personally assessed the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa and instructed immediate solutions for the affected families, producers, and economic sectors.

The president assured that the Government will not leave any producer or family unattended, and that official actions will be geared both towards immediate response and the mitigation and prevention of future vulnerabilities.

While leading a working group meeting at the Provincial Government in Barahona with key local authorities, representatives of relief agencies, community leaders, and media, President Abinader reported that he is in the province assessing the damage caused by the rains that have affected the Enriquillo region for several days, severely impacting sectors such as agriculture, communication routes, especially rural roads, commerce, and agricultural production.

The president explained that the Government, together with the municipalities, has developed a plan of direct support for both the mayors and the agricultural producers, with the aim of recovering losses and reactivating productive activities, and noted that the Church and civil society will also participate in this process to guarantee transparency, fairness, and efficiency in the distribution of aid.

The head of state announced that the number of coffee plots affected in the municipality of Polo has been identified, the sector most affected by the rains because it was in the middle of the harvest, and announced that, in addition to the loans from the Agricultural Bank, a direct non-refundable contribution will be given to the producers who were affected.

Regarding housing, he indicated that those with minor damage will receive assistance from the Presidential Directorate of Social Assistance. At the same time, more serious cases will be handled by the Ministry of Housing and Construction, with specially allocated resources. Abinader emphasized that the government will not rebuild homes located in vulnerable areas, to prevent families from facing risks again from future natural disasters.

He also explained that the damaged rural roads have already been identified and are being repaired: those with an agricultural impact will be addressed by the Ministry of Agriculture. At the same time, those of greater importance for transit and connectivity will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications.

Finally, the president assured that recovery and support measures will be extended, in different forms, to all provinces declared under red alert, where various sectors of the economy suffered damage due to the rains.

For his part, the Minister of the Presidency, Andrés Bautista, announced that President Abinader has arranged for municipalities to receive direct aid in the coming weeks to address the problems caused by the rains in their respective localities.

Likewise, the governor of Barahona, Oneida Catalina Féliz Medina, appreciated the President’s presence in the province, which enabled him to learn firsthand about the needs of citizens and to bring timely solutions.

Local authorities appreciated the president’s openness to direct dialogue, emphasizing the importance of these spaces for identifying joint priorities and accelerating solutions to the province’s main needs.

In San José de Ocoa, he listens to the communities to find solutions to the damage caused.

Earlier in San José de Ocoa, President Abinader held a meeting with provincial authorities at the headquarters of the Association for the Development of San José de Ocoa (ADESJO), where he explained that his visit aimed to listen to the communities and seek solutions to the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa’s cloud field in the agricultural sector, water and electricity infrastructure, and social services.

Among the measures adopted, the head of state ordered a detailed survey of agricultural damage, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, to channel direct aid through the Comptroller General and soft loans through the Agricultural Bank.

He asked that these surveys be carried out with complete transparency and integrity, to ensure that the resources reach those who really need them.

President Abinader assured that the government will not abandon those affected in any of the areas impacted by the rains. He also announced that a weekly meeting will be held to monitor the progress of the recovery efforts.

The president stated that it is necessary to solve current problems and to establish measures that serve as a preventive against future phenomena.

Damage assessment and response of the authorities

The provincial governor of San José de Ocoa, Oliva Castillo, explained that the rains significantly affected open-field crops. However, an exact figure for the area of damaged land is not yet available. She explained that an expert assessment will produce a report with actual data on the agricultural impact and emphasized that, thanks to the authorities’ rapid response, no human losses were recorded in the province.

Among the infrastructure affected by landslides and mudslides are the Ocoa–Cruce de Ocoa road sections in the Las Caobas community and the San Rafael sector, as well as the San José de Ocoa–Parra section. The meeting highlighted that, thanks to the construction of gabion walls in Rancho Arriba, more extensive damage to the greenhouses was prevented.

River flooding and preventative measures

The Parra and Nizao rivers in the municipality of Rancho Arriba experienced flooding due to the rains caused by the storm, as did the community of Montenegro, where approximately 16 communities were cut off. In areas where landslides occurred, gabion walls are planned as a preventative measure to avoid further incidents.

Mayors’ requests regarding the damage

During the meeting, the mayors of San José de Ocoa, Fernando Antonio Castillo; Sabana Larga, Pedro Castillo; and Rancho Arriba, Alcedo de los Santos, requested the execution of surveys for the conditioning of ravines, improvement of housing, reconstruction of bridges, repair of streets and rural roads, construction of gabion walls, expansion of the sewer system and rehabilitation of road sections.

President Abinader was accompanied on the tour by the Minister Without Portfolio, Deligne Ascención; the Director of Social Assistance and Community Food, Edgar Féliz; the Mayor of Barahona, Milton Fernández; the Senators of San José de Ocoa, Aneudy Ortiz and of Barahona, Moisés Ayala; and the Director of the General Directorate of Strategic and Special Projects of the Presidency (PROPEEP), Robert Polanco.