IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay, Jan 26 (PIA) - A total of 11,351 rice farmers in Sibugay Province will receive their Php 5,000 cash subsidy from the Department of Agriculture (DA) thru its Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Rice Farmer Financial Assistance (RFFA) Program.

DA 9 has started releasing the cash subsidy to rice farmers in Diplahan municipality here on Jan. 26 to 27, 2022 with 1,329 farmer-beneficiaries, where each receiving P5,000.00 or a total of PhP 6,738,030.00.

Evelyn P. Academia, Regional Rice Program Focal Person, DA9, said the office have also calendared the release of the cash assistance to other farmer-beneficiaries from other municipalities in Sibugay.

“The implementation of this program will provide a direct, secure, and unconditional cash assistance amounting to five thousand pesos (PhP 5,000.00) to each eligible rice farmer beneficiary through the Western Union,” she said. An additional P70.00 will also be given for the beneficiaries’ ID.

Academia said, qualified beneficiaries are those rice farmers who are registered in the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA) through the Farmer and Fisherfolk Registration System (FFRS) and those smallholder rice farmers or those tilling farms with an area of two hectares and below.