DSWD releases rice subsidy for 1.1M farmers, fishers

Some 1.1 million small-scale farmers and fisher folk have received some P2.86 billion in rice subsidies since May 2011, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has said.

The DSWD said the program, which ends this month, is a short-term effort to help farmers and fisher folk cope with rising prices of commodities and fuel, especially during the lean months.

Beneficiaries received training and then rendered community service under the Cash-for-Work scheme involving tree-planting, reforestation, coastal cleaning, dredging of waterways and canals, repair of damaged community facilities due to disasters.

“The beneficiaries were paid cash upon completion of the activities based on the prevailing regional wage rate in their respective areas,” the DSWD said.

OIC Secretary Alicia Bala said half of the cash assistance given to the beneficiaries shall be used to buy food or rice in the market to boost the economy in the area.

According to the DSWD, the program has a budget of P4.2 billion for some 1.57 million small-scale farmers and fisher folks.

It identified the beneficiaries through its National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) project based on their 2010 data of poor farmers and fisher folks in every city and town.

Under the program, the beneficiaries would receive cash assistance in exchange for undergoing a four-day training and rendering community service.

The four-day training focused on:

agricultural and food production

family and community disaster preparedness

gender development orientation

planting methods for palay and corn

banca-making

The Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the local government units assisted in conducting the trainings. — LBG, GMA News