BACOLOD CITY – Around 2,792 rice farmers across Negros Occidental and Guimaras provinces were granted a total of PHP13.96 million in financial assistance through the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Western Visayas, under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) program.
According to Philippines News Agency, this cash aid initiative is sourced from the excess tariff collections garnered from rice importations and aims to support local farmers directly. Specifically, the assistance was given to those who cultivate rice on plots of two hectares or less and are registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). Each qualified farmer received PHP5,000.
In Bago City, the top rice-producing area in Negros Occidental, a sum of PHP4.305 million was distributed to 861 beneficiaries at the Barangay Sampinit covered court on Monday, as reported by the City Agriculture Office. The following day, another 863 farmers received PHP4.315 million at the Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Coliseum and Cultural Center.
Furthermore, in Guimaras, 1,068 rice farmers from the municipalities of San Lorenzo, Sibunag, Buenavista, and Nueva Valencia have been identified to receive a combined total of PHP5.34 million in cash assistance. The distribution began on Monday, marking a significant effort to bolster the agricultural sector in these communities.
This year's allocation of the RCEF-RFFA has included farmers registered in the RSBSA as of June 30, 2023, ensuring that the aid reaches those most in need within the farming community.