DAVAO ORIENTAL – True to its mission to assist rice farmers whose incomes are affected by the drop in the farm gate price of ‘palay’ (unhusked rice), the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental spearheaded the distribution of loan assistance to 750 farmers worth P15,000 each.
The assistance which was distributed to farmers on December 10, 2019 at Capitol Covered Court, City of Mati came from the Department of Agriculture. The loan assistance is part of the Expanded Survival and Recovery Assistance Program for Rice Farmers or SURE Aid Program under DA – Agricultural Credit Policy Council in partnership with the Landbank of the Philippines.
SURE-Aid Program provides a one-time loan assistance to rice farmers who are farming one hectare and below at 0% interest rate payable for eight years.
Out of the 750 beneficiaries, 132 of them are from the Municipality of Lupon, 113 from Cateel, 110 from Banaybanay, 100 from Baganga, 99 from Caraga, 80 from Boston, 30 from Manay and 6 from the City of Mati, according to the Provincial Agriculturist’s Office.
Juan D. Larrobis who is farming his one-hectare rice fields in Barangay Lanka, Lupon since he was 16 years old said that he has been suffering from the low yields for 5 years now due to climate change and underprices due to rice tariffication. Still farming at the age of 62, Larrobis is still thankful to the government for the said loan intervention though it can only cover labor expenses.
Larrobis expressed his view that they have to work harder now as farmers because they are “not just in farming industry but also playing in the business here.”
“The government never left us. In fact, they are always helping us through continuous programs like this, seed grants and free trainings in doing businesses and farming breakthroughs that would help us in terms of productivity and adaptability to climate change and towards globalization,” said Larrobis in vernacular.
DA-XI Regional Director Ricardo M. Onate, Jr. expressed his thanks to the farmers present who still believe and trust the government. He encouraged them to farm for the yields, produce it to final products and retail the rice to the market.
“I will be glad if I see you lead the farm-to-business process, from land preparation to rice selling in the market,” Director Onate, Jr. said.
Meanwhile, Governor Nelson Dayanghirang encouraged the farmers who are also landowners to make use of their lands for personal growth.
Vocal against to the conversion of rice fields into other plantations like banana, Governor Dayanghirang expressed his concerns to those landowners who may become workers of businessmen in their very own land if they let them lease their fields for 25 years.
“I am afraid that you will fall to these ‘invaders’ trap. I can’t allow outsiders to farm your own land and see yourself as workers of someone’s business operating in your own land,” stressed Gov. Dayanghirang.
He added that the Provincial Government under his watch is always looking for the farmers’ future because “they feed us all.”
“We have programs on the pipeline for all the farmers in Davao Oriental. I just need you to cooperate and participate because I want to see you more empowered, we must have to help each other first” he said. By Van Jorain O. Rufin/Photos by Eden Jhan Licayan
