The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking the help of local government units (LGUs) in getting more farmers and fishermen to register into the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) for them to have easier access to agriculture-related assistance programs.
Senior adviser on IT and farm digitalization Dennis Layug made the call Tuesday, August 24, during a virtual briefing in order to achieve their goal to register about seven million farmers and fishermen into the registry within the year.
"Sa ating mga LGUs paki-encourage po ang ating mga magsasaka na pumunta sa ating agri offices and provincial offices natin para po makapagpalista po tayo (To our LGUs, please encourage our farmers to visit our agriculture offices and provincial offices to sign up)," Layug said.
"Magpalista po kayo sa RSBA para mas madaling makarating ang ayuda sa inyo (Sign up to the RSBSA to hasten the release of ayuda to you)," Layug also told farmers and fisherfolk.
Those who have already signed up to the registry may check their status through the DA's municipal and provincial offices, he added.
At present, about 3.6 million farmers and fishers have been encoded in the registry.
Registering in the RSBSA, Balanza emphasized, is identified as the minimum requirement in availing of agri-fishery-related government services such as financial assistance, subsidiary funding, and insurance services.
The RSBSA is an electronic compilation of basic information of farmers, farm workers, fishers, and other target agriculture-related beneficiaries of the DA. Their data are being encoded in the Farmers and Fishery Registry System managed by the DA-Central Office.
According to the DA, those registered in the electronic database by government agencies are given priority in the targeting and implementation of their respective programs.
To be able to register in the RSBSA, the eligible individual must be at least 18 years old at the time of registration, included under the agri-basic sector, and is a bona fide Filipino citizen.