The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 8 (DA-8) continued the distribution of the government’s ₱3,000 fuel subsidy to farmers in Hilongos, Leyte, as part of the ongoing rollout of the program funded under prior years allocation.

The activity is a continuation of the subsidy distribution intended for a total of 1,304 farmer-beneficiaries in the municipality. The recipients include rice, corn, and vegetable farmers who rely on fuel-powered machinery for land preparation and other agricultural operations.

The continued distribution was authorized by the Department of Energy (DOE), allowing the Department of Agriculture (DA) to release unclaimed fuel subsidies from previous years. The move aims to cushion the burden experienced by farmers due to the continuing increase in fuel prices.

Under the program, each qualified farmer receives an ATM card loaded with ₱3,000 worth of fuel subsidy. The card can be presented at partner gasoline stations where farmers can redeem fuel for use in their farm activities.

Farmers welcomed the assistance, noting that the support comes at a critical time when fuel prices remain high and production costs continue to rise.

Romeo Nerves, 55, one of the beneficiaries, expressed his gratitude for the assistance extended to local farmers.

“𝘋𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘰 𝘶𝘨 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘋𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘯𝘪’𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘮𝘢, 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘪 𝘯𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘵𝘢𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘺𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭,” he said.

[I am very thankful to receive fuel assistance for farmers. It is a big help for the machinery we use in farming, especially now that fuel prices have increased.]

Hilongos OIC- Municipal Agriculturist Paulitte P. Lagbas also highlighted the significance of the initiative in helping farmers reduce their operational expenses, particularly those who hire tractors for land preparation.

“𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘮𝘪 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢-𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘯𝘪 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘕𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘺𝘶𝘥 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘣𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘪 𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳. 𝘈𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳. 𝘈𝘯𝘢 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘢𝘨𝘪, 𝘥𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘨𝘺𝘶𝘥 𝘯𝘪’𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴,” she expressed.

[We are very thankful that this program is available for our farmers. It greatly helps reduce their expenses, especially when they hire tractors. In this way, farmers will only have to think about paying the tractor operator, which greatly helps them.]

The continued rollout of the fuel subsidy, funded under the prior years allocation, forms part of the government’s efforts to cushion farmers from rising fuel costs while sustaining agricultural productivity across farming communities.