The Department of Agriculture (DA) will start in the first week of October the distribution of P5,000 to 70,000 small-scale farmers in Bohol as part of its nationwide cash assistance program.

According to DA-7 technical director Cirilio Namoc, a total of P350 million is ready for release to fund the project but they have yet to complete the list of recipients.

“Naa na atoang funds, ang listahan nalang ang dili kompleto. Among gi sure per town na kompleto na ang mahatagan para dili na mi magbalik-balilk,” said Namoc.

He said they will finalize the list of recipients by Monday next week.

The cash assistance is being rolled out through Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11598 which was signed into law by former president Rodrigo Duterte in December last year

The law allows the DA to source funds from the excess of P10 billion on the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to directly provide cash assistance to the small farmers until 2024.

Under the program, small farmers tilling two hectares and below of rice land will get an annual direct cash assistance.

Namoc said the fund for the program was released in early September.

The agency was supposed to start the distribution last week but decided to postponet due to the incomplete list of recipients.  

Previously, some 50,000 farmers in the province received the cash assistance in the first round of distribution from January to May, this year. (R. Tutas)