DA distributes P503-M assistance to over 100,000 Western Visayas rice farmers
A total of 100,667 rice farmers from various areas in Western Visayas have received P503-million worth of financial assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA).
During the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) - Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) launching ceremony, the Provincial Government of Iloilo received an RFFA budget of P344 million, while the Aklan Provincial Government was given P159 million.
The RFFA, a program under DA's RCEF, provides a P5,000 allowance to small rice farmers who work on plots of land less than two hectares.
DA Secretary William Dar said that the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) made the RCEF-RFFA through funding it with P7.6 billion excess tariffs earned from 2019 to 2020.
A registration station for the Farmer's Interventions Monitoring Card (FIMC) was opened for rice farmers in the said event to make the distribution of monetary support easier.
The FMIC acts as both an identification card and a cash card, allowing quick access to government services. Farmers and fishermen who are members of the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) can apply for the card.
Meanwhile, Dar emphasized that beneficiaries should make effective and efficient use of the DA interventions.
"Gamitin ninyo ang pera na matatanggap sa produktibong bagay, tulad ng maliliit na livelihood projects (Use the funds that you will receive in productive things such as small livelihood products) the DA and other implementing offices are working hard to make sure that our farmers and fishers will be empowered despite these trying times," Dar said.