Amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas pushed through with the distribution of P9,145,000.00 cash assistance to 1,829 farmer beneficiaries in the province of Iloilo.
The cash assistance is the first tranche of the total amount of P232,580,000 intended for 46,516 farmer-beneficiaries in the province.
Director Remelyn R. Recoter said that the cash assistance amounting to P5,000 per household could be a great help in this time where our nation is under the state of emergency and people cannot perform their respective routines.
“I have instructed our two agricultural program coordinating officers in coordination with the local chief executives for the province of Iloilo to turn-over to each municipal agriculturist/municipal agricultural officers their allocations for them to distribute to each farmer beneficiaries,” she said.
Dir. Recoter stressed that “we should adhere to the protocols impose by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) so we come up with this scheme to make sure that there is no gathering of crowds and ensure that this rice farmers financial assistance (RFFA) reach those who were affected by the low-price of palay since last year.
Rene B. Famoso, regional technical director for Operations said that the department has identified these rice farmer-beneficiaries who are tilling from half hectare to two hectares farmlot through the registry system for basic sector in agriculture (RSBSA) registration which commence last quarter of 2019.
Famoso said that the identified farmer-beneficiaries could claim at M’ Lluillhier Kwarta Padala, the partner lending facility of DBP their cash aid upon presenting their valid identification cards and letter from DA-WV containing their individual transaction code.
The distribution commenced yesterday for the first and fifth districts with 141 and 224 farmer-beneficiaries respectively. The third district with 119, second district – 187 and fourth district 1,101 farmer-beneficiaries will be given today and tomorrow.
Farmers are encouraged to continue their respective works in the farms within their locality provided that they observe proper hygiene and social distancing to ensure sufficient supply of food are available in this time of crises.
The DA-6 is in constant communication with all agricultural stakeholders, inter-Agency Task Force and LGU partners to address issues and concerns encountered specifically on the movement of agricultural products, inputs and supplies across the region.DA-6
