Antique Farmers to Receive Over PHP 236 Million in Cash Assistance from Department of Agriculture

BUENAVISTA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has initiated the disbursement of PHP 236.95 million under the 2023 Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) program, aimed at supporting 47,390 farmers in Antique.

According to Philippines News Agency, head of the DA-Antique Provincial Coordinating Office, the distribution process began on Wednesday. He mentioned that the first batch of recipients, totaling 26,397 farmers, are now eligible to withdraw their PHP 5,000 cash aid. These farmers are listed on the credited list provided to Municipal Agriculture Officers, as confirmed by Guanco in an interview.

The farmers, identified through the Intervention Monitoring Card (IMC), are able to access their financial assistance via Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) or through Universal Storefront Service (USSC) Western Union locations. The IMC functions similarly to an ATM card, facilitating easy withdrawal of the assistance funds.

However, the remaining 20,993 farmers, constituting the second batch of beneficiaries, are currently awaiting notification. Guanco explained that most farmers in this group are newly registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and do not yet possess an IMC.

The RSBSA serves as a comprehensive registry of farmers, fisherfolk, and farm laborers, used to identify eligible beneficiaries for various agricultural programs. To qualify for the RCEF-RFFA, farmers must be registered with the RSBSA and own or tenant farmlands not exceeding two hectares.

The RCEF-RFFA program has been instrumental in providing financial support to farmers in the region. In 2022, a total of 33,695 farmers in Antique benefited from the program, each receiving PHP 5,000.