The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 8 (DA-8) officially launched the payout caravan for the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (PAFFP) on April 22, 2026 at the DA Regional Field Office 8, Kanhuraw Hill, Tacloban City, delivering much-needed financial assistance to farmers in the region.

Funded under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (Republic Act No. 12314), the PAFFP seeks to provide unconditional cash assistance to more than 4.17 million beneficiaries nationwide. The program primarily targets small-scale farmers and fisherfolk who are most vulnerable to volatile fuel prices and rising production costs.

In this initial rollout, 1,200 rice farmers from Palo, Leyte and Tacloban City received the assistance, with each beneficiary receiving Php 2,325. Farmers welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely financial cushion amid the continuing rise in fuel prices.

Christopher Dela Cruz, 51, President of the Association of Tagpuro Farmers United for Progress, said the intervention will help ease the burden of farm production costs.

“𝘋𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘬𝘢𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘨 𝘩𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯. 𝘚𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘨𝘶𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘭 𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘢𝘨𝘪 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘯-𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘣-𝘦 𝘯𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘨-𝘶𝘮𝘢,” he said.

(This is a significant help to us. With the current high prices of diesel and gasoline, this assistance will help ease our expenses, especially in our farming activities.)

Meanwhile, Anita Cahinde, a farmer from Palo, Leyte, expressed her gratitude for the support, noting that the assistance comes at a crucial time as farmers begin preparing their fields for the next cropping season.

“𝘕𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘪. 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘣-𝘦 𝘯𝘢 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘸𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘩𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰𝘥 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘮. 𝘕𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘨-𝘥𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘩𝘢𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘩𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯,” she said.

(I am grateful, as this will serve as additional support for our allowance. This will be a big help to us, especially now that we are preparing and clearing our fields for the next planting season. It will also help augment our expenses.)

The payout caravan forms part of the Department of Agriculture’s continuing efforts to cushion farmers and fisherfolk from the impact of escalating fuel and production costs while ensuring sustained agricultural productivity across the region.

In the subsequent weeks, payout caravans will be conducted at further strategic venues across the region to ensure broader reach.