Local Rice Farmers across Northern Samar are set to benefit augmented agricultural support as the Department of Agriculture (DA) in partnership with the Provincial Government of Northern Samar officially launched the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) in the province.

The ceremonial launch opens the floodgate for greater agricultural support for the province in terms of financial assistance, machinery and equipment, high-quality rice seeds, credit support and training and extension services.

In his message, DA OIC-Regional Executive Director Rodel G. Macapañas underscored that the launching of RCEF in the province makes its farmers eligible to receive the 5,000-7,000 financial assistances distributed to rice farmers.

“𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘰 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘯 5,000 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘯 7,000, 𝘬𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 2 𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢 𝘪𝘣𝘢 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘺𝘢. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘢𝘣𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘊𝘌𝘍,” he positively shared.

[Many farmers were given ₱5,000 — sometimes reaching ₱7,000 — each, particularly those with landholdings of 2 hectares or below in other provinces. This time, we will also receive that kind of financial assistance under RCEF.]

Meanwhile, local officials expressed optimism that the program would uplift and empower the province’s agricultural sector, where many farmers still rely on traditional and labor-intensive methods of cultivation. In his message Governor Harris Ongchuan stated that “𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘢𝘨𝘪 𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘌𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯, 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘨-𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘺𝘢.”

[“Through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, our farmers in the province are becoming more modern, efficient, and productive.”]

The said gathered representatives from local government units, farmers’ cooperatives and associations, and agricultural stakeholders marked a milestone in the province’s endeavor towards sustainable and efficient rice production.

RCEF is the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, a program in the Philippines established by the Rice Tariffication Law to support rice farmers. The fund’s main goal is to improve the productivity and competitiveness of local rice farmers through allocations for farm machinery, seed development, credit assistance, and extension services. It also provides for fuel discounts for qualified farmers and fisherfolk.