COTABATO CITY(August 12) — For thousands of farmers and fisherfolk in Cotabato, a few thousand pesos may not solve the rising cost of production—but it can provide some breathing room.
The Department of Agriculture 12 released PHP7.9 million in cash assistance to more than 3,400 farmers and fisherfolk in North and South Cotabato on Wednesday under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program.
In Antipas, North Cotabato, 1,367 beneficiaries received PHP3.18 million, or PHP2,325 each.
For beneficiary Nanay Lorena, the money came at a time when the cost of basic needs continues to climb.
“Great relief for the high cost of living,” she said in the vernacular during an interview.
In Banga, South Cotabato, another 2,052 farmers and fisherfolk received a combined PHP4.77 million during a distribution caravan at the municipal gymnasium.
The beneficiaries came from nine barangays: Rang-ay, Kusan, Liwanay, Punong Grande, Rizal Poblacion, Benitez, Cabuling, Barrio 5 and Cabudian.
DA-12 Regional Executive Director John B. Pascual said the program is designed to provide direct support to registered agricultural workers and fishers struggling with higher fuel, farm inputs and other production costs.
But for communities whose livelihoods depend on farming and fishing, the cash assistance is only a temporary buffer.
The bigger squeeze remains: higher production costs, expensive fuel and a rising cost of living are making it harder to turn hard work in the farm and at sea into enough income for the family.
Pascual said similar cash distributions are scheduled in other Soccsksargen municipalities.
For the recipients, the immediate question is how far PHP2,325 can stretch.
For the agriculture sector, the longer-term question is whether government support can go beyond one-time assistance and help make farming and fishing sustainable and profitable enough to keep rural families afloat.
