TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur - With the effect of the RA 11203 or the Rice Tarification Law since its implementation in 2019, the Department of Agriculture (DA) distributes Notice of Grants worth P5,000 for every farmer tilling 0.5-2.0 hectares of rice and are registered to the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). The said intervention is part of the RA11203 which provide farmers equivalent protection while experiencing a lower domestic rice prices to level that becomes affordable to majority of the population. On the other hand, RFFA aims to compensate rice farmers who lose their income as a result of the measure.

In Surigao del Sur, more than 5, 000 farmers received the grant with a total amount of P25-million. Amidst the COVID19 pandemic, the DA-Caraga continues its distribution targeting 38,000 farmers. According to

Abel James I. Monteagudo, the Regional Executive Director of DA-Caraga, the amount of P5,000 would be of great help to rice farmers especially in this crisis situation.

Under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), there will be 10 percent allocation that will be set aside to fund extension services by PhilMech, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) (with reports from RG Parro).