ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS. One of the beneficiaries, Alfredo Honrado (3rd from left), receives the PHP5,000 cash assistance from the Department of Agriculture under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) Program on Friday (Nov. 5, 2021). The distribution was led by Agriculture Secretary William Dar (3rd from right) and Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino III (2nd from left). (PNA photo by Hilda Austria)
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The Department of Agriculture (DA) distributed cash assistance to the beneficiaries of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) Program and machinery to the farmers affected by the Severe Tropical Storm Maring in Pangasinan on Friday.
In his speech during the program, DA Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel de Mesa said the beneficiaries totaling 101,000 farmers registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture with landholdings of two hectares and below.
Each of the beneficiaries will receive PHP5,000 through the Interventions Monitoring Card (IMC), which serves as the farmer’s identification card and cash card.
He said the funding for the program came from the excess collection in the tariff last year as mandated by the Rice Tariffication Law.
Some 100 farmers received the PHP5,000 during the ceremonial awarding here and the start of the distribution in the entire province until Dec. 31 this year.
In an interview, Alfredo Honrado, one of the farmer-beneficiaries, thanked the national and provincial government for the cash assistance he received.
“Malaking tulong na nabigyan kami nito. Ipandadagdag ko po sa pambili ng abono (It is a huge help that we were given this. This augment in my purchase of fertilizers),” he said, adding that this is the second time he received cash assistance from DA.
Meanwhile, some 26 farmers' associations from the different localities in the province got farm machinery, rice seeds, and livestock.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar, in his message during the program, said these are agricultural interventions worth PHP73 million for the farmers in the province affected by “Maring.”
“Ibibigay ito sa kanila para makasigurado na ang mga affected na magsasaka, mangingisda, maging mga backyard raisers na maipagpatuloy o masimulan ulit nila ang kanila pagsasaka at pangingisda (These will be given to them to ensure that those affected farmers, fisherfolks, even backyard raisers will be able to continue or start over again with their farming and fishing),” he said.
Among the pieces of machinery distributed were 32 pumps and engine sets, 11 four-wheel-drive tractors, a corn husker-sheller, a two-row corn planter, two hauling trucks, as well as 129 bags of rice seeds, and 1,430 heads of livestock such cattle, chicken, and duck.
These were given to the different farmers groups from the towns of Bolinao, Aguilar, Bayambang, Malasiqui, Mapandan, Alcala, Binalonan, Sto. Tomas, Balungao, Bani, Mangatarem, San Jacinto, Laoac, Natividad, Manaoag, Calasiao, and San Carlos City.
Some of the farmers whose farmlands have been damaged by the recent storms also received cash from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
Letecia Baldueza from Mangatarem town said her farmland was totally damaged and she was glad to have received PHP15,600 from the PCIC.
“Gagamitin ko ito para makapagtanim ulit (I will use this to be able to plant again),” she said.
Meanwhile, some 10 farmers from Lingayen town affected by calamities were given PHP20,000 loan assistance under the Survival and Recovery (SURE) Assistance Program of the DA.
Ricarte Viray, one of the SURE beneficiaries, said he will use the loaned amount to restart his fish-selling business.
Governor Amado Espino III thanked the national government through the DA for the assistance given to the farmers in the province.
“We thank the national government for assisting us through the pandemic and even through calamities,” Espino said.
Pangasinan recently declared a state of calamity due to “Maring” that left PHP400 million damage to the province’s agriculture industry. (PNA)
