President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the release of PHP12.7 billion to fund the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) Program aimed at helping small rice farmers sustain their productivity, Malacañang said Saturday.

In a statement, Communication Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Marcos on Thursday approved the funding requirements for the RFFA to assist rice farmers amid some challenges besetting the agriculture sector.

The program has identified about 2.3 million small rice farmer beneficiaries who will receive PHP5,000 in financial aid.

These farmers were listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) as of June 30, Garafil said.

“The RFFA is an unconditional financial assistance for farmers tilling below two hectares of land as mandated under Republic Act (RA) No. 11598, or the Cash Assistance to Filipino Farmers Act of 2021,” she said.

Beneficiaries include those in farm cooperatives associations (FCAs), irrigators associations (IAs), agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs), small water impounding systems associations (SWISAs), and other farm groups.

The funding was sourced through the excess tariff collection from rice importations in 2022, amounting to about PHP12.7 billion, Garafil said.

The President said the release of funds for the RFFA would help rice farmers cope with the increasing cost of production and sustain their productivity amid several challenges, such as the El Niño phenomenon.

Additional assistance

Meanwhile, Marcos also approved the use of PHP700 million in excess tariff collections for the “Palayamanan Plus” conditional cash transfer under the Household Crop Diversification Program, Garafil said.

She said beneficiaries include RSBSA-registered farmers who are also listed in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

She said about 78,000 farmers are expected to receive the Palayamanan Plus conditional cash transfer of PHP10,000 each to ensure they “will enjoy food, nutrition, and income security.”

The two financial assistance packages support the Masagana Rice Industry Development Programs.

During the rice distribution in Siargao Islands, Surigao del Norte on Friday, Marcos said his administration would continue to look for sustainable solutions to address the agricultural issues in the country.

Marcos noted that providing financial aid to affected farmers is just one of the steps of the administration to sustain their source of income.

Apart from providing cash assistance to rice farmers, the President also led the distribution of sacks of rice to thousands of 4Ps beneficiaries in several parts of the country.

He likewise distributed PHP15,000 worth of financial assistance to each small rice retailer and sari-sari store owner affected by the implementation of Executive Order 39, which imposes the mandated price cap on regular and well-milled rice at PHP41 per kg. and PHP45 per kg., respectively. (PNA)