The Department of Agriculture (DA-6) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) simultaneously distributed P12, 810, 000.00 worth of loan under the Expanded Survival and Recovery Assistance Program (SURE Aid) at Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESVIARC), Hamungaya, Jaro, Iloilo City, Miagao, Iloilo and in Jordan, Guimaras, October 25.
According to DA-6 Regional Executive Director Remelyn R. Recoter, a total of 854 rice farmers received their LBP cash cards amounting to P15, 000.00 per farmer.
For the province of Iloilo, 630 farmers came from the 1st and 2nd District and 14 farmers from Iloilo City.
Meanwhile, 210 beneficiaries were from the province of Guimaras. This includes the towns of Jordan, Nueva Valencia, Sibunag, San Lorenzo and Buenavista.
“The SURE Aid aims to provide loan assistance for immediate relief to rice farmers affected by the initial impact of lower palay prices resulting to the reduction or loss of their farm income,” said Recoter.
She also mentioned that the program intends to help rice farmers regain their capacity to continue their production through a zero-interest loan that is payable for 8 years.
With a total of P2.5 billion SURE Aid fund, Western Visayas has an allocation of P84.657 million for 5, 645 rice farmers.
The program is an initial relief response to rice farmers who are tilling one hectare of land and below. Also, this aims to help farmers who were affected by the impact of the of the lower palay price.
SURE Aid is a collaborative program between the Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC) and Land Bank of the Philippines.PR/DA-6
