The Department of Agriculture has begun rolling out P10-billion cash assistance for about 4.17 million registered agricultural workers under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program. Farmers and fisherfolk nationwide are each expected to receive P2,325 amid rising production costs due to the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. described it as a lifeline for those hit by soaring petroleum prices.
The Department of Agriculture announced that initial payouts of the cash assistance are expected to begin this week, starting with producers and fisherfolk in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.
Targeted beneficiaries include rice farmers tilling two hectares and below, as well as corn and sugarcane farmers under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). Fisherfolk registered under the National Program for Municipal Fishing Vessels and Gears Registration (BoatR) and the RSBSA will also receive aid.
The assistance will be distributed through Interventions Monitoring Cards, usable for cash withdrawals, ATMs, and online banking. “This financial assistance, while admittedly small, provides a lifeline for over 4.1 million Filipino farmers and fisherfolk hit hard by soaring petroleum product prices,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
The agency added, “The support can provide short-term relief, but it does not address longer-term issues such as high input costs, limited access to financing and exposure to climate related risks.” The program seeks to boost cash flow in rural communities and avert disruptions in local farm production from diesel-fueled machinery, irrigation pumps, and boats.
