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Around 5,809 farmers from six local government units (LGUs) in Samar Province received grants through the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (PAFFP) during a two-day distribution held in Calbayog City and San Jorge, Samar.

The six beneficiary LGUs in Samar included municipalities from the first districtβ€”such as Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, Tagapul-an, San Jorge, Tarangnan, and Matuguinaoβ€”where farmers expressed their gratitude for the timely intervention amid economic challenges affecting their agricultural operations.

Among the beneficiaries was Victor Cabarles, a rice farmer from San Jorge; he shared that the assistance would help them purchase additional farm inputs and fuel for their machinery for the upcoming planting season.

β€œπ·π‘Žπ‘˜π‘œ 𝑖𝑛𝑖 π‘›π‘Ž 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑔 β„Žπ‘Ž π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘”-π‘’π‘šπ‘Ž π‘˜π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘Žπ‘‘π‘‘π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘™ 𝑖𝑛𝑖 π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘‘ π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› β„Žπ‘–π‘› 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 π‘›π‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘šπ‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘ π‘–π‘›π‘Ž (π‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘›π‘œ) β„Žπ‘Ž π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘’π‘šβ„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘Žπ‘›. π·π‘Žπ‘˜π‘œ 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛 π‘Žπ‘˜π‘’π‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘Žπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘›π‘Ž π‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘Žπ‘˜π‘œ β„Žπ‘–π‘› π‘šπ‘”π‘Ž β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘” β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› 𝐷𝐴 π‘ π‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘›π‘Žπ‘™π‘Ž β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘– π‘›π‘Ž π‘“π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘™ π‘Žπ‘ π‘ π‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘’, π‘›π‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘‘ π‘™π‘Ž β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘– 𝑖𝑛 π‘›π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘€π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘”π‘–β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘› π‘Žπ‘˜π‘œ β„Žπ‘–π‘› π‘™π‘–π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘–π‘›β„Žπ‘– π‘›π‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘›π‘œ,” Cabarles said.

[The assistance is a big help to us; it is additional money to spend on fuel and fertilizers for our farm operations. I am very thankful that the DA helped us by providing this financial assistance, as well as other interventions like rice seeds and fertilizers.]

It is the same for Janita Dela Cruz, a rice farmer from Matuguinao, who said that the assistance is an additional intervention they received from the agency. She noted that this will help sustain their farm operations, especially since today’s market prices for farm inputs and fuel are so expensive.

β€œπ‘€π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘π‘’π‘™π‘–π‘” 𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑖 β„Žπ‘Ž π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘π‘’β„Žπ‘– π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘– π‘›π‘Ž π‘¦π‘Žπ‘›π‘Ž π‘›π‘”π‘Ž π‘šπ‘Žβ„Žπ‘Žπ‘™ 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛 π‘˜π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘π‘œ π‘›π‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘Žπ‘‘π‘Ž π‘”π‘–β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘› 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛 π‘‘π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘– π‘šπ‘Žπ‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘Žβ„Žπ‘œπ‘› π‘ π‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘¦π‘Žπ‘›π‘Ž π‘›π‘Ž π‘šπ‘Žπ‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘œ π‘›π‘Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘’π‘˜π‘‘π‘’β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘Žπ‘› π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘’π‘šπ‘Ž. π·π‘Žπ‘˜π‘œ 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛 π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘Žπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘ β„Žπ‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘¦π‘œπ‘› π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘”π‘π‘’π‘™π‘–π‘” β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘”π‘œπ‘π‘¦π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘›π‘œ β„Žπ‘Ž π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘›π‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘”-π‘’π‘šπ‘Ž,” she said.

[This will really help our livelihoods, especially since fuel is expensive and the weather is also affecting our farms, causing a loss in income. We are very grateful for the government’s continuous support for farmers.]

Meanwhile, representatives from the LGUs’ Agriculture Offices who were present during the distribution reaffirmed their commitment to continuously assist local farmers through technical support and the facilitation of government assistance intended for farmers and fisherfolk.

The Calbayog City Agriculturist, Techie Pagunsan, said that their local government remains committed to ensuring that qualified beneficiaries are included in the agricultural assistance programs of the national government. She also highlighted that, aside from the interventions given by the agency, the LGU of Calbayog is also procuring additional farm inputs to give to the farmers.

β€œπ΄π‘› 𝐢𝑖𝑑𝑦 π΄π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’π‘™π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› πΆπ‘Žπ‘™π‘π‘Žπ‘¦π‘œπ‘” π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘ π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘’π‘”β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘ π‘œ π‘œπ‘“ πΏπΊπ‘ˆ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘¦π‘‘π‘Ž π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘”π‘–β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘› π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘› π‘šπ‘”π‘Ž π‘π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘›β„Žπ‘Žβ„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘” π‘›π‘Ž π‘™π‘–π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘›π‘Ž π‘£π‘’π‘”π‘’π‘‘π‘Žπ‘π‘™π‘’ 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’ 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 π‘›π‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘–π‘π‘Ž π‘π‘Ž π‘›π‘Ž π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘‘ π‘™π‘Ž β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘Ž π‘›π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘˜π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘€π‘Žπ‘‘ β„Žπ‘Ž 𝐷𝐴. π·π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘– π‘™π‘Ž 𝑖𝑛𝑖 𝑒π‘₯𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’ π‘“π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ , π‘˜π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘– β„Žπ‘Ž π‘‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘Žπ‘› π‘›π‘Ž π‘“π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  β„Žπ‘Ž πΆπ‘Žπ‘™π‘π‘Žπ‘¦π‘œπ‘”, π‘›π‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘Žπ‘› π‘”π‘–π‘›π‘π‘’π‘π‘’β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘œπ‘π‘–π‘ π‘–π‘›π‘Ž 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘– π‘™π‘Ž π‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘”π‘œπ‘‘ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘Žπ‘› π‘Žπ‘› π‘’π‘π‘’π‘˜π‘‘π‘œ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘ π‘–π‘  π‘ π‘Žπ‘› π‘šπ‘”π‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘”-π‘’π‘šπ‘Ž π‘˜π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘– π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘– π‘”π‘–β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘› β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› β„Žπ‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘› π‘’π‘π‘’π‘˜π‘‘π‘œ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› 𝐸𝑙 π‘π‘–π‘›Μƒπ‘œ,” she said.

[Through the City Agriculture Office of Calbayog and the support of the LGU, we have distributed free vegetable and rice seeds and other interventions for our farmers, in addition to the support from the DA. These interventions are not just for rice farmers, but for all farmers in Calbayog. What the office is doing is not only aimed at easing the effects of the fuel crisis but also at preparing our farmers for the effects of El NiΓ±o.]

She also emphasized the importance of collaboration between the local government and the DA to ensure that assistance reaches those who need it most.

During the rollout, representatives from DA RFO 8 urged farmers to use their financial assistance wisely for productive agricultural and fisheries activities to improve their income. They also assured the public that the PAFFP caravan will continue to reach more provinces, reinforcing the government’s commitment to supporting farmers and sustaining rice production across the country.