Manila:<Text>

Filipino farmers and fishers are expected to receive at least PHP100 million worth of fuel subsidy from the government amid looming oil price hikes due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa announced that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved a PHP150 million fund for the agency's fuel subsidy program. Of this total, PHP100 million has already been disbursed to the DA and is ready for distribution.

Farmers and fishers will receive a one-time aid of PHP5,000 and PHP3,000 per person, respectively. "Inaasahan nating 9,700 farmers 'yung paunang makakatanggap ng assistance (We expect 9,700 farmers to initially receive the assistance) under the fuel subsidy program," De Mesa noted.

Eligible farmers must be registered in the government's Registry System for Basic Sectors i n Agriculture (RSBSA) and either own or rent machinery for production. Fishers need to be registered in the RSBSA or the Municipal Fisherfolk Registration System (FishR), own boats weighing 3 gross tons or less, and comply with legal fishing methods and practices. "Makakareceive sila ng PHP3,000 - ang unang makakatanggap ay (They will receive PHP3,000 - the initial recipients are) 15,800 fisherfolk," De Mesa added.

The remaining PHP50 million will be released by the DBM once global oil prices hit USD80 per barrel due to prolonged tensions in the Middle East. Overall, the fuel subsidy per sector will amount to PHP75 million, benefiting a total of 14,500 farmers and 23,800 fishers.

De Mesa emphasized that fuel subsidies could be immediately released, provided beneficiaries complete their registrations for the Interventions Monitoring Card (IMC). Eligible individuals must register with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Fintech to secure their IMCs. "Kukunan sil a nung tinatawag na KYC, Know Your Client, tapos kapag napirmahan na 'yung kanilang registration forms, ipa-process and then ire-release na 'yung IMC card nila (They will be asked for their KYC, Know Your Client, and then once their registration forms are signed, it will be processed, then their IMC cards will be released)," stated De Mesa.

The PHP5,000 and PHP3,000 fuel aid will be directly disbursed to IMCs, which are locked in for automatic payment transactions with fuel stations. For rural areas with connectivity challenges, the DA will issue vouchers for fuel subsidies.

Furthermore, the DA plans to continue distributing farm inputs like seedlings, fertilizers, and machinery beginning in the next planting season to minimize the impact of Middle East tensions and global crude adjustments on local food production. "These are all given for free, sa ating mga magsasaka (to our farmers)," De Mesa concluded.