The Department of Agriculture (DA) has distributed P1 million worth of fuel discount vouchers to a total of 368 corn farmers in Cauayan City in Isabela.
The distribution of fuel discount vouchers is part of the government assistance program to the agriculture sector following the series of big-time oil price hikes from December last year to the first few months of 2022. It started last Aug. 25, according to the DA.
The DA said municipalities of San Isidro, Cabatuan, Luna and San Agustin, Reina Mercedez, Angadanan, San Mateo, Aurora, Sto. Tomas, Cabagan, Sta. Maria, San Pablo, Roxas, Quezon, Mallig, Burgos, San Manuel, City of Ilagan, Gamu, Quirino, Benito Soliven, Naguillian, San Mariano, San Agustin, Jones and Echague are expected to receive the same assistance in the succeeding days with overall 5,243 target beneficiaries.
Regional corn program coordinator Paul Vincent Balao said that from its initial list of 16,811 slots to receive the assistance, there were already more or less 12,000 corn farmers who were identified as recipients.
In addition, he said recipients of the aid are enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and must be a beneficiary of the agency's mechanization program.
The fund allocated for this, he said, was based on the approved General Appropriations Act (GAA) of this CY 2022.
"Abot sa 250 milyong piso ang aprubadong pondo para sa ayudang ito at pinaghatian ng lahat ng DA regional offices sa buong bansa (The approved funds for this aid amount to P250 million and are shared by all DA regional offices nationwide)," said Balao.