TOWN HALL MEETING. Lovella Guarin, Department of Agriculture 5 (Bicol) Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section chief, gives her message during the Bagong Pilipinas Town Hall meeting at the DA-5 office in Pili, Camarines Sur on Tuesday (May 14, 2024). More than 250 farmers, farm leaders, and agricultural extension workers attended the event. (Photo courtesy of DA-5)
LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) 5 (Bicol) addressed concerns, inquiries, and issues raised by more than 250 farmers, farm leaders, and agricultural extension workers who attended Tuesday's first Bagong Pilipinas Town Hall meeting in Camarines Sur.
In an interview on Wednesday, Lovella Guarin, DA-5 spokesperson, said among the matters discussed were the guidelines on the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Rice Farmers Financial Assistance, availing of DA projects, and accreditation of civil society organizations by the agency.
"The town hall meeting was productive as it provided an opportunity to connect government services with our farmers. We discussed and listened to the suggestions of our farmers, including the proposal to extend the RCEF financial assistance to farmers with more than 2 hectares of land. Currently, only Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA)-registered farmers with less than 2 hectares of land are eligible to claim a PHP5,000 cash assistance," Guarin explained.
She said the agency also provides interventions for large landholdings through the clustering approach. The clusters receive most of DA's interventions to increase production volume and achieve economies of scale.
"The suggestions of our farmers were very timely since the RCEF will end this June, and it is under evaluation. We were able to explain to our farmers what our government is doing to meet their needs. Other leaders of farmers' associations that are newly organized showed interest in availing (of) DA projects and signified interest in the establishment of a nursery for cacao and other high-value crop commodities," she said.
For a newly organized association to avail of big projects from the DA, all members should be registered with the RSBSA, and the association should also be enlisted by the DA-5 Civil Society Organization (CSO) accreditation committee.
"They were able to start filling up the requirements and give solutions to their problems. Ten farmers also brought home complete sets of garden tools raffled off during the event," Guarin said.
She noted that the town hall meeting would be replicated in other Bicol provinces in the coming months.
The Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is characterized by a principled, accountable, and dependable government reinforced by unified institutions of society, whose common objective is to realize the goals and aspirations of every Filipino.
The town hall meeting is part of the celebration of Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Month in Bicol. (PNA)
