SOME 218 farmer-recipients from Victorias City have received loan assistance worth P5.4 million from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) under its Expanded Sure Aid and Recovery Project.
The project aims to finance the emergency and production capital requirements of marginalized small farmers and fisherfolk, whose production income was affected by flash floods.
The Provincial Government, through the project, wants to help them regain capacity to continue their agricultural activities and contribute to achieving sustainable food production.
Eligible borrowers are marginalized small farmers and fisherfolk listed under damage reports submitted due to flash flood, and those enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA).
They can avail a non-collateralized loan of P25,000 per household with zero-percent interest rate payable in 10 years.
It is a collaborative project of the Provincial Government and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who spoke at the ceremonial turnover of the financial assistance held at the Victorias Cultural Center on Monday, September 13, acknowledged the importance of farmers and fisherfolk as major contributors to the food security of the province.
"Aside from the prevailing pandemic, the agriculture sector is also affected by other factors such as flash floods so the Expanded Sure Aid and Recovery Project was conceptualized to aid local farmers," he added.
Also present during the activity were Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca, OPA officer-in-charge Dina Genzola, Jane Aplaon of the DA, and Victorias City Agriculturist Samson Garzon Jr., among others.
Earlier, some 528 farmer-beneficiaries from the cities of Talisay, Silay and Cadiz as well as E.B. Magalona town had received the same loan assistance worth almost P14.6 million. (With reports from Capitol)