By
Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff
Reporter
LAOAG CITY—Over 52,000 rice farmers in the province are entitled
to receive PHP5,000 each as financial assistance due to the flood of imported
rice in the market.
From the initial number of 19,927 rice farmer-beneficiaries in
Ilocos Norte, provincial agriculturist Norma Lagmay said the number of eligible
beneficiaries of the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance (RFFA) program has almost
tripled.
Under the program, farmers may receive the payment through a
LandBank-issued cash card, or over-the-counter withdrawal from Landbank of the
Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines conduits and accredited
payout outlets.
RFFA forms part of the immediate interventions set up to cushion
rice farmers from the birth pains of the RA 11203 or the so-called Rice
Tariffication Law. The law provides for financial assistance for rice farmers
to be sourced from the tariff collection of the P10-billion Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
“The 5,000 cash assistance is given to our rice farmers to
mitigate the significant drop in palay farm gate price due to RA 11203 or the
so-called Rice Tariffication Law,” said Ms. Lagmay as the amount may be use to
purchased farm inputs.
Aside from the RFFA, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte
has also provided life and health insurance to farmers.
“In case of death, a farmer can receive PHP50,000 death aid and
if they get sick, at least 30 percent of the total hospital will be covered,” Ms.
Lagmay explained.
Out of the total 52,216 rice farmer-beneficiaries, at least 2,560
farmers already received their cash aid while others are still being processed.
The initial batch of beneficiaries are from Laoag, Bacarra,
Pinili, Badoc and Solsona.
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