Manila: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced the anticipated release of the PHP10 billion Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF) to registered farmers and fishers, beginning April 6.
According to Philippines News Agency, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. shared this timeline during a session of the Senate Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee. This meeting addressed the increasing fuel prices resulting from ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Tiu Laurel stated that the release of PAFF is expected soon after the Holy Week, contingent on a commitment from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). "Hopefully by the week of April 6. We are just waiting for the SARO (Special Allotment Release Order), which the DBM has committed to release by April 2," he said.
The initiative aims to provide more than 4 million registered Filipino farmers and fishers with cash assistance to mitigate the effects of rising fuel costs. "We will be giving PHP2,325 to 4.175 million beneficiaries na rehistrado sa RSBSA, (registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture)," Tiu Laurel noted.
Most beneficiaries are from the rice sector, numbering 2.197 million, followed by 1.475 million corn producers, over 102,000 sugar farmers, and approximately 399,000 fishers nationwide.
Previously, the DA commenced the distribution of a fuel subsidy to alleviate the impact of increasing fuel prices. With a PHP150-million approved budget, the DA's fuel subsidy program grants PHP5,000 to each eligible farmer and PHP3,000 to qualified fishers. The DA also plans to utilize nearly PHP100 million in unused fuel subsidy funds from 2023 to 2025.
