THE Department of Agriculture (DA) Central Luzon held the ceremonial launching of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) – Rice Farmer Financial Assistance (RFFA) and fuel discount program at the Dinalupihan Civic Center in Dinalupihan town in Bataan recently.
The fuel discount was under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund – Mechanizations Component Technology.
DA Secretary William Dar has graced the said event together with other DA Officials, Bataan Governor Albert Raymond S. Garcia, Dinalupihan Mayor Maria Angela S. Garcia, and Development Bank of the Philippines Senior Assistant Vice President Francis Rivera.
The ceremony started with a message from Dinalupihan Mayor Maria Angela S. Garcia to framers and fisherfolks “Gusto rin po nating bigyan ng recognition ang lahat ng ating pong mga kasamahan na mga magsasaka at mangingisda ditto po sa buong lalawigan ng Bataan,” Mayor Garcia stated.
On the other hand, Governor Garcia said “Ang hapong ito ay isang bahagi ng continuous program na ating ginagawa na nagbibigay tulong at biyaya sa ating mga mangingisda at magsasaka.”
The governor cited the purpose of the said event “Layunin po nito na bigyan tayo ng suporta upang mas maging competitive at mas ma-modernize po natin ang ating agrikultura at fisheries upang lumaki po ang ating kita, dumami ang ating ani at huli, at makapagbigay po tayo ng abot-kayang pagkain sa ating mga kababayan, ito po ang intensiyon at programa ng RCEF sa pamumuno ng DA.”
According to Dar, the political campaign has already ended but for the agriculture sector, its campaign against hunger and poverty has not yet ended as there is a brewing food crisis globally.
“Dapat sama-sama at tulong-tulong tayo kasi ang mundo natin ay may nagbabadyang kagutuman at dapat tayo dito sa Pilipinas ay maghanda at kaya natin itong labanan, magbanat buto tayong lahat, sa ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda kung masipag tayo dati mas magsipag pa tayo ngayon,” Dar stated.
He also said that even though there is a diversity in the agriculture sector still, there is unity and this must always be the perspective of those who are in the sector.
The RCEF-RFFA 2 it is stated in Section 13 of Republic Act No. 11203 that if the annual tariff revenues from rice importation exceed Ten Billion Pesos in any given year within the six-year period following the effectivity of the Act, the excess tariff revenues shall be earmarked by the congress and included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the following year for other intended purposes.
Among the intended purposes of the excess tariff, revenue is the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance of the Department of Agriculture which will provide financial assistance to rice farmers who are farming two hectares and below.
Direct cash assistance with a total of P2,500,000 was distributed to 500 farmers from Bataan, each of them receives P5,000 and this is already a 7.2 percent of the total target of 6,732 farmers from Bataan.