A total of 2,044 farmers from San Miguel, Leyte benefit from the Farmers’ Assistance for Recovery and Modernization (FARM) program. (Speaker’s office)

The offices of Speaker Martin Romualdez and Tingog Party-list facilitated on Friday, April 26 the payout of over P10 million under a program that sought to help struggling farmers, who are every bit as heroes according to the House leader. 

Given cash aid of P5,000 each under the Farmers’ Assistance for Recovery and Modernization (FARM) program were a total of 2,044 farmers from the municipality of San Miguel, Leyte. 

“We established this program so the government can reciprocate your heroism in helping millions of Filipino families put food on the table. Para kay Pangulong Marcos Jr., mahalaga po ang bawat Pilipino at kasama kayong lahat doon," Speaker Romualdez said. 

(Every Filipino is important to President Marcos Jr., and you are all part of it.) 

Tingog Party-list is represented in Congress by Yedda Marie Romualdez, chairperson of the Committee on Accounts; and Jude Acidre, a deputy majority leader. 

The distribution was held at the San Miguel Municipal Gymnasium. Mayor Norman Sabdao and SB Leticia Asis Espos were present during the ceremony. 

An initiative of Speaker Romualdez, the FARM program is designed to lower the price of rice by utilizing and maximizing existing government interventions available to farmers. 

The financial aid to San Miguel farmers, which totaled P10.22 million, was sourced from the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) of the DSWD. 

Speaker Romualdez said that based on studies, prices of basic commodities increase if the price of rice increases. 

The FARM program not only provides assistance to farmers; it also addresses the National Food Authority’s (NFA) predicament in accomplishing its mandate to increase its buffer stock, which can be used in case of emergencies. 

The farmer-beneficiaries are encouraged to sell at least 100 kilos of their rice harvest to the NFA.