DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar is leading the launching, distribution and turnover of over P450 million worth of various programs and projects in Negros Occidental Tuesday, December 8.
Dar will be joined by DA-Western Visayas Regional Director Remelyn Recoter, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and other government officials in the province in launching the agency's Cash and Food Subsidy program at the Pana-ad Park in Bacolod City.
The program aims to assist farmers and fishers affected by the health crisis brought about by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), the program-recipients will now be corn, coconut and sugarcane farmers and fisherfolk who will receive P5,000 in cash and goods including rice, chicken and egg.
This will form part of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) that the national government is providing to affected farmers.
Qualified recipients must be registered at the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA) and have not received SAP assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), among other agencies.
Data obtained by SunStar Bacolod from DA-Western Visayas showed that in Negros Occidenal alone, there is a total of 35,544 target-recipients of the program under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and DA-corn program.
Each of the recipients will receive P5,000 thus, the total assistance for Negros Occidental is pegged at about P177.7 million.
The DA chief will also lead the distribution of about P206.8 million worth of farm machineries under the mechanization component of Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program.
Nineteen farmers associations and local government units (LGUs) in the province are the recipients of farm machineries.
Only 120 beneficiaries of the Cash and Food Subsidy program and 70 of the RCEF program will join the activity in compliance to the allowed number of participants set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), the regional line agency said in a briefer.
In the afternoon, Dar will then proceed to Cadiz City for the turnover of two bridge projects totaling to P60.3 million under the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).
The projects located in Barangay Caduha-an include the 40 linear meters Dalayapan Bridge worth P23.4 million and the 75 linear meters Sicaba Bridge worth P36.9 million.
The official will also sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Central Philippines State University (CPSU) president Dr. Aladino Moraca at the CPSU-Victorias Campus for the establishment of nurseries for cacao, sweet potato and bamboo worth P3 million.
The CPSU, in its Kabankalan City Campus, will do the massive production of the said crops for distribution to farmers in the province.
Another MOA will be signed by Dar with DA Undersecretary for Livestock William Medrano, Recoter, Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol and City Agriculturist Cesar Gayem for the implementation of Cattle Feedlot Fattening Project under the Stimulus Package for Agriculture of the National Livestock Program (NLP).
The Bayanihan 2 provides funds for other forms of assistance to qualified beneficiaries to finance the Plant, Plant, Plant Program of the DA ensuring food security, productivity and accessibility.
The project worth P5,000 million will benefit farmers of Binalbagan town.
Each beneficiary will receive a basic package including cattle fattener, concentrate feeds, drugs and biologics and insurance under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC).
Other activities during the visit of the DA's top official in the province include muscovado sugar and other farm machineries demonstration, awarding of startup tools for village repair of small engine, and awarding of 2019 Rice Achievers Award to Bago City for having the highest provincial yield performance, among others.