Northern samar: A total of 1,562 rice farmers from various towns in Northern Samar received cash assistance under the national government's Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) program, the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office reported. The distribution, held Friday in coordination with the provincial government, granted each qualified farmer PHP7,000 to help offset income losses caused by declining palay prices following the liberalization of rice imports.

According to Philippines News Agency, the RCEF-RFFA program covers smallholder farmers cultivating 2 hectares of rice land or less who are registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). Vice Gov. Clarence Dato, representing Gov. Harris Ongchuan, expressed gratitude to the DA for its continued assistance, highlighting the program's role in sustaining farmers affected by recurring shear line events that have damaged rice production in the province.

'The program is significant in sustaining the agricultural sector, especially after recurring shearline events that adversely affected rice production in the province,' Dato said during the distribution. The DA reported that 2,292 farmers in Northern Samar benefited from the program last year, while qualified farmers' groups also received farm machinery under the RCEF program in 2025.