A total of 202,712 farmers in Central Luzon will receive cash assistance under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund – Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Regional Rice Banner Program focal person Lowell Rebillaco said on Monday some 1,309 farmers in this province initially received their cash assistance worth PHP5,000 each last Sept. 2.

“The RCEF-RFFA aims to provide cash assistance as compensation for the projected reduction or loss of farm income arising from the tariffication of the quantitative import restrictions on rice,” Rebillaco said in an interview.

Under the special provisions of the RCEF, the RFFA program will provide rice farmers registered under the Registry Systems for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), and tilling two hectares and below of land, unconditional cash assistance of PHP5,000.

The program sources its funds from the rice tariffs collected annually in excess of the PHP10 billion allocated for the RCEF.

Martin Reyes, one of the farmer-beneficiaries from Arayat town, thanked the government for the assistance.

“Maraming salamat po sa ayuda na ibinigay ninyo sa amin. Makakasigurado po kayo na ibibili po namin ito ng pataba para sa palay (Thank you very much for the assistance provided to us. Rest assured that I will use it to purchase fertilizers for palay),” Reyes said in a social media post.

Pampanga Vice Governor Lilia Pineda said the PHP5,000 cash assistance is a big help to the farmers.

“Masayang-masaya ang mga magsasaka. Kahit na pumila ay nagtitiyaga sila kasi napakalaging bagay yung PHP5,000 (The farmers are very happy. They patiently lined up because the PHP5,000 is a big matter),” Pineda said. (PNA)