THE Department of Agriculture (DA) in Central Luzon, in collaboration with the Provincial and Municipal Government of Bulacan, distributed aid under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) program.
Some 4,871 rice farmers from San Miguel, Bulacan received financial assistance last February 14 to 16.
Each farmer who cultivates no more than two hectares and is registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) receives P5,000.
The RSBSA is the formal government record to identify the country’s legitimate farmers.
It is also an electronic compilation of basic information of farmers, farm workers, fishers, and other target agriculture-related beneficiaries of the DA.
Their data are encoded in the farmers and fishery registry system managed by the DA-Central Office.
Those registered in the electronic database of government agencies are given priority in the targeting and implementation of their respective programs.
The General Appropriations Act emphasizes that the DA’s national programs will prioritize areas where the majority of the RSBSA-registered small farmers and fisherfolk are located.
Along with the assistance is the provision of the Interventions Monitoring Card, which will serve as the farmer’s cash card and ID.