Aimed at extending financial relief to cushion farmers against escalating input costs and broader economic headwinds, an estimated 4,000 farmers across Northern Samar have been granted financial assistance under the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (PAFFP), as the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office VIII (DA RFO 8) continues its sustained rollout across various provinces of the region.

The distribution was carried out in two phases over consecutive days on May 5–6, 2026, reaching diverse farming communities through closely coordinated field operations.

On the first day, assistance was released in Laoang, benefiting farmers from the municipalities of Laoang, Pambujan, Catubig, and San Roque. On the second day, distribution activities were held at the Ibabao Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Catarman, where beneficiaries from Mondragon, Bobon, and Catarman likewise received their financial assistance.

Beneficiaries expressed their gratitude for the government support, noting that the assistance came at a crucial time to help sustain and improve their agricultural operations.

Rosita Manghas Biado shared how the assistance will directly support her farming activities: “𝘕𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘬 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘬 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢. 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘸𝘢 𝘺𝘢𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨 𝘶𝘮𝘢. 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘯, 𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘬𝘰 𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘩𝘰𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨-𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘨-𝘶𝘮𝘢..”

[I am very grateful for the help I received. I will use this support for cultivating or plowing my rice field so I can maintain a good harvest. To ensure my field retains water, I will have it cultivated and hire plowing services to improve my farming.]

Another beneficiary, Renato Manghas, also acknowledged the impact of the assistance on their farming operations: “𝘐𝘯𝘪 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢, 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘭, 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘭. 𝘋𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘺𝘰 𝘨𝘶𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨 𝘶𝘶𝘮𝘢.”

[This is a big help in improving our area, especially in building dikes and purchasing diesel. I am deeply thankful for this assistance because it truly benefits poor farmers like us.]

The rollout was conducted in an orderly and systematic manner, anchored on strong coordination between local government units and municipal agriculture offices. A subsequent phase of the rollout has yet to be formally announced.

PAFFP is part of the national government’s continuing intervention to much-needed financial relief to the agriculture sector amid rising production costs and prevailing economic pressures. The cash assistance is intended to help farmers defray expenses for essential farm inputs and uplift the welfare of farmers and fisherfolk, particularly in vulnerable and underserved communities, as part of its broader mandate to strengthen rural livelihoods and ensure food security nationwide.