TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Feb. 15 (PIA) -- Bohol is set to receive over P2 billion in agriculture development in the next two years.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar bared this during his third visit in Bohol in the last two years on Feb. 8. 

Dar was in Bohol to administer the provincial rollout of the Rice Farmers’ Financial Assistance and interventions for the agriculture sector.

He surveyed the massive damage the agriculture sector sustained due to typhoon Odette, and initially committed financial assistance for Bohol in the first months of 2022.

In the first quarter alone, Bohol will receive P1.72 billion form the DA.

The agriculture chief said they are requesting another P1 billion for the Quick Response Funds and from it, they are alloting P120 million to Bohol. 

He also said that for the regions devastated by the typhoon, the DA is requesting from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council some P3 billion, of which P150 million is for the rehabilitation of the damages caused by the typhoon in Bohol. 

Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap, in his presentation to the DA chief, said Bohol outlined four priority development projects that dovetail into the "One DA Reform" agenda.

The governor presented a livestock, poultry with corn industry hub in Ubay which would make Bohol-raised pork available in a box, another high-value commercial cash crop processing center focused on cacao in Carmen, a coconut processing hub in Balilihan, and a food terminal set to be built in Talibon.

On these four hubs, the DA secretary committed half a billion. 

Apart from the billions set for Bohol’s agri fisheries development and rehabilitation, Dar committed another P1 billion for the province towards the end of this year.

He said these are above the allocation for fisheries and aquaculture recovery in Bohol which the DA has pegged at P7.5 million. 

Meanwhile, Dar disclosed that the government is releasing fuel subsidies for corn farmers. 

Dar, along with DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa, Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Assistant Vice President Rallen Verdadero, and DBP Senior Vice President Ricardo Josef Bandal witnessed the rollout of the P5,000 Rice Farmers Financial Assistance and the ceremonial awarding of the DA Interventions Monitoring Card and turn over of projects from the DA Region 7 and other attached offices.  (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)