The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to launch this month its digital cash and food aid system or e-voucher system for the efficient and transparent implementation of cash and food subsidies to marginal farmers and fisherfolk.
The DA said with a budget of P4.5 billion under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or “Bayanihan 2,” almost 900,000 marginal farmers and fisherfolk will benefit from the cash and food assistance.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) President Emmanuel Herbosa signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and implementing guidelines for the program last Nov. 9.
“We felt it was an obligation for the DA family to line up some social amelioration assistance to cover indigenous people farmers, farmers of corn, coconut, and sugarcane, and the fisherfolk, who were not included in previous amelioration programs that catered to rice farmers,” Dar said in a statement on Monday.
The DA said using the e-voucher system, the beneficiaries can claim the cash assistance at DBP-accredited payout centers by presenting issued ID and the unique reference code sent by the implementing agencies.
For food assistance, it can be claimed at any Kadiwa supplier recognized by the DA.
According to the DA, eligible farmers who are enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) will receive direct food such as P2,000 worth of rice and chicken or egg and P3,000 cash assistance.
The department said the new cash and food assistance program aims to aid marginalized farmers and fisherfolk who were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, provide market support to the local rice and poultry industries, and support micro, small, and medium enterprises.