The Department of Agriculture (DA) launched the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) Program in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) on October 28, 2021.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar led the ceremonial awarding of the Interventions Monitoring Card (IMC) to registered rice farmers with landholdings of two hectares and below as initial beneficiaries of the unconditional cash assistance worth P5,000 through the RFFA.
The program will benefit 65,836 Cordillera rice farmers with a total cash assistance amounting to P329.18 million.
In partnership with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and SquidPay Technology, Inc., the DA-CAR Regional Field Office will start distributing the IMC that serves as an identification card and cash card.
During the program launch, Secretary Dar was joined by Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel De Mesa, Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Noel Reyes, and DA Regional Director Cameron Odsey.
DBP Senior Vice President Ricardo Josef Bandal II, Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda, Sablan Mayor Manuel Munar Jr., Benguet Representative Eric Go-Yap, and Senator Bong Go also conveyed their support during the event. (Photo by Alan Jay Jacalan, DA-AFID)
