The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the distribution of the P500 million worth of fuel subsidy for corn farmers and fishers will start Thursday, March 17.
DA Sec. William Dar disclosed that the fuel subsidy would be distributed to corn farmers and fishers under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) starting in Tacloban.
“The fuel subsidy will be rolled out tomorrow in Tacloban giving P3,000 per corn farmer or fisher. Mabibigyan sila ng discount vouchers at ito yung dadahlhin nila sa mga accredited na fuel stations or gas stations ng bansa (They will receive discount vouchers that they may bring to accredited fuel stations or gas stations nationwide),” Dar explained at the Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday, March 16.
Aside from the fuel subsidy, Dar said that the department also implemented agriculture-related banner programs to address the economic challenges due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The Plant Plant Plant Program Part 2, which consists of fertilizer subsidy worth P20 billion; P1 billion for urban and peri-urban agriculture; P1 billion for local feeds production; P1 billion for aquaculture and mariculture fisheries; and P1 billion for food mobilization, were among the programs he mentioned.
Dar added that rice farmers-beneficiaries have received P5,000 each under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) since its launch in 2020.
For fishers forced to halt their operations, the DA chief assured them of another fuel subsidy worth P600 million set for distribution in April.
“Nakakaiusap po tayo sa mangingisda (We are appealing to our fisherfolk) starting tomorrow the subsidy for fishers and farmers will rollout. Merong second batch and this will be distributed in April (We will distribute the second batch of the subsidy in April),” Dar said.