The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) kicks off second wave of the Financial Subsidy to Rice Farmers (FSRF) distribution in Misamis Occidental Wednesday, May 13, 2020, as 1,187 rice farmers in the towns of Aloran and Jimenez each gets P5,000 cash aid.

The FSRF is a special subsidy granted by DA to small rice farmers tilling one hectare rice field or lesser in the provinces not covered by the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) program of DA.

Misamis Occidental registered a total of 6,544 FSRF-eligible rice farmers who will be duly subsidized P32.7 million worth of financial assistance.

This initiative is set to augment the small farmers’ capacity as they are gearing up for May-June planting season, amid pandemic drawbacks.

“Our rice farmers in Jimenez are extremely delighted with the FSRF. Like many, they are affected by the COVID-19 crisis. To them, this help from DA is so timely especially most of them have now started planting,” said Vima M. Bolanio, Jimenez Municipal Agricultural Officer.

“Surely our farmers’ yield will increase since they now have added means to suffice their farming needs, aside from seeds and fertilizers assistance from DA-10,” Bolanio added.

DA’s farmer-beneficiaries will receive the subsidy in cash through Landbank’s payout system.

Rosafe B. Quiñon, Landbank Account Officer of Ozamiz Satellite Office, said serving the farmers is an all-time mandate of Landbank. Personally, she is glad to be part of the cause helping the farmers in this trying times.

“It is fulfilling to serve our farmers. They are our (COVID-19) frontliners in food production. Without them the entire country will go hungry,” Quiñon said recognizing farmers contribution in the battle against the pandemic.

DA-10 is now fast-tracking the FSRF distribution in Misamis Occidental.

Other 5,357 qualified rice farmers from the towns of Baliangao, Calamba, Plaridel, Lopez Jaena, Oroquieta City, Panaon, Clarin, Ozamiz City, Sinacaban, Tudela, Bonifacio and Tangub City, are due to receive the FSRF cash aid this week.# (ATalib)

Munai, Lanao del Norte, May 11 – Three hundred twenty-five rice farmers in said town received cash aid under DA’s Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) through its distribution of reference codes.

Each rice farmer-beneficiary can encash one’s reference code in any MLhuiller outlet, amounting to Php5,000.

RFFA is the government’s financial aid to rice farmers with 0.5 hectare but not exceeding two hectares, who are affected with the liberalization of rice imports in the country through the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law.

DA-Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) Carlene C. Collado urged the recipients to invest the amount on farm inputs to boost their farm production at the same time sustain their needs, amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

“Instead of spending the money on non-essential goods and activities, it is more important these days to be wise in using the money for food production and help the government improve and develop the agriculture sector of Munai,” he said.

Meanwhile, Munai Mayor Racma D. Andamama, expressed her appreciation with the financial assistance her farmer-constituents have received apart from the previous and pipelined projects of DA-10 for the town.

“We are grateful for having been granted with the agricultural assistance of DA-10, and we hope that the department will continue to give support to our farmers and the locals to utilize Munai’s fertile land, turning it into a food basket of Northern Mindanao,” the mayor said.

Said undertaking is the department’s last leg for its RFFA distribution, rounding up a total of 6,983 rice farmers from the 15 benefitting towns and city, in the province of Lanao del Norte. # (EMB)

Aiming for an efficient delivery of the government’s assistance to small rice farmers, the DA-Regional Field Office 10 thru OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado convened to discuss on the procedures of the Financial Subsidy to Rice Farmers (FSRF) distribution, in the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental in Northern Mindanao.

The Php3 billion national budget on FSRF program is DA’s another immediate intervention to augment the production and needs of small rice farmers affected by the low buying price of palay in effect of the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law.

With the program’s cash subsidy of Php5,000 each, farmer-beneficiaries with rice farm area of one hectare and below can also cope up with the emerging global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), the department will continue to distribute the financial assistance amid tight community quarantine (CQ) measures, to qualified farmers identified by the provincial agriculture offices, who are also listed under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

In a meeting with LBP Acting Marketing Assistant Hazelle D. Ybañez, RED Collado said, with the tight measures in the quarantined areas, the local governments and the municipal agriculture offices (MAOs) of the provinces must have control and anticipate the large number of beneficiaries who will be accommodated each day, conforming physical distancing policy inside the designated banks.

“Considering the huge number of beneficiaries, especially in MisOcc, DA will coordinate with the governor and other government officials, ahead of time to discuss on the program’s processing flow, without defying the LGUs’ CQ protocols,” Collado stressed.

In response to DA’s concern on the CQ measures, LBP has scheduled the list of claimants per day to avoid overcrowding during the distribution.

Ybañez also cited, that its servicing branches have also prepared a separate waiting area far from the counter to accommodate one farmer at a time.

Early this year, 2,620 rice farmers received DA’s first FSRF distribution amounting to Php13.1 million, while the remaining 7,266 farmers from MisOcc (6,544) and MisOr (722) will be expected to line up in the designated LBP branches for the cash assistance, starting May 15.

In a meeting with the municipal agriculture officers in MisOr  and LBP servicing branches, DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga stated, that the regional office will give an advance notice in case of possible changes, due to the changing CQ measures implemented by the LGUs between boundaries of the cities and towns in the provinces. #

Cagayan de Oro City- In support to DA’s mandate of making food available, accessible and affordable, the Philippine Coconut Authority – Region 10 (PCA-10) launched the Kadiwa at Diskwento Outlet for the region’s coconut products and by-products on May 8 at the agency’s compound.

Starting next week, PCA-10’s Kadiwa outlet will be opened from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00AM to 3:00PM at Sotero, Daumar Street, Brgy. 39.

Products being sold such as cooking oil, vinegar, coco sugar and buko pie are offered at discounted prices, as they are directly sourced from the coconut farmers federation and stakeholders.

The coconut cooking oil courtesy of Granexport Manufacturing, Corp.’s Minola oil, was purchased by PCA-10 Employees Association at a wholesale price.

PCA-10 Regional Director Brendan P. Trasmonte said, the Kadiwa outlet helps DA’s ‘Ani at Kita’ program to boost the coconut farmers’ income at the same time making food more available and affordable for marginalize urban communities.

“This is an ideal time for PCA to support DA as its mother unit, by promoting the major coconut products at reasonable prices to cope up with this economic crisis caused by the pandemic COVID-19,” he added.

Likewise, Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office has also donated face shields to the agency’s frontliners and vendors, as a precautionary measure against the pandemic virus. PCA-10’s Kadiwa outlet is in partnership with Ged’s Coco Sugar, Suka Pinakurat and Balay.#(EMB)

LGU Munai will strategically utilize the farm machineries – 1 unit 100-hp farm tractor, 1 unit 35-hp farm tractor and 1 unit rice combine harvester to help the farmers’ transition into modern farming.

The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) through its Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program turned over on Monday, May 11, 2020 Php5.1 million worth of farm machineries to the local government (LGU) of Munai, Lanao del Norte.

The agri support comprises 1 unit 100-horsepower (hp) farm tractor for rice, 1 unit 35-hp farm tractor for corn and 1 unit rice combine harvester.

Having received SAAD assistance, the LGU hopes to upscale rice and corn production of the town strategically as means for poverty eradication.

“This assistance from DA-10 will surely improve our agriculture in Munai. With DA’s support I am hopeful that the lives of our farmers will be better. They can now farm productively with much ease and comfort,” said Munai Mayor Racma D. Andamama.

In his message, DA-10 OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado expressed his full support of the LGU’s agricultural development program.

“Munai is the first hinterland LGU in Lanao del Norte to ever received farm machineries from DA-10. This is because I fully support your mayor’s commitment to develop your town’s agriculture,” Director Collado asserted.

Despite bankable potential, agricultural development in Munai has been sidelined for many years.

“Owing it to your mayor’s dedication to agriculture, you can expect more assistance from DA this year and in the years to come,” Director Collado vouched, promising more agri machinery assistance and farm inputs subsidy to the town farmers.

In the same occasion, 325 rice farmers in Munai each received Php5,000.00 cash assistance from DA totaling to Php1.6 million under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA).

The aid ought to help rice farmers procure needed farm inputs for the coming planting season in June.

In the event, DA-10 also turned over 1 unit 90-hp farm tractor worth Php2.5 million to the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade under DA-10 Normalization Program.

The intervention was received by the unit’s commander, Brigadier General Facundo Palafox IV.

Overwhelmed by the support her town received, Mayor Andamama gratefully acknowledged DA as partner for progress.# (ATalib)

The Department of Agriculture in Region 10 (DA-10), led by OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado audience with Lanao del Norte Governor Imelda Q. Dimaporo on May 11, 2020 to discuss ways forward in the implementation of priority agricultural projects in the province.

During the meeting, RED Collado presented various agricultural interventions implemented and lined up for implementation in the province under DA’s banner programs.

Among the highlighted DA-10 interventions and assistance to the province (COVID-related and regular projects) are:

1. Distribution of P34.8-million (M) Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) to 6,970 rice farmers in the province under the Rice Program.
2. Distribution of 61,588 bags fertilizers, 16,681 bags inbred rice seeds and 3,629 bags hybrid rice seeds subsidy through DA’s Rice Resiliency Program.
3. Turnover of P5.1-M worth of farm machineries to the local government unit (LGU) of Munai under the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program.
4. Turnover of 4 units Incubator worth Php204,000 to LGU Tubod, Lanao del Norte Agricultural College (LNAC) in Sultan Naga Dimaporo, and Tago Ranao Farmers Association under the Livestock Program.
5. Distribution of assorted vegetable seeds for the province’s home gardening campaign.

Issues and concerns raised by the Governor were noted and underscored by DA-10 for appropriate actions by the agency.

RED Collado disclosed in the meeting, DA-10 will be prioritizing Lanao Norte’s hinterland LGUs in its future agricultural plans and programs, as part of the agency’s inclusive and expansive agricultural development agenda. #

CdeO City, May 5, 2020 – Through DA’s Plant, Plant, Plant Program, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) – Region 10 received 100 packets of assorted vegetable seeds from the regional office of the Department of Agriculture-10 (DA-10), thru OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado.

The NCMF is a government agency, which promotes the rights of Muslim Filipinos, pushing them to become active participants in Philippine nation-building under the supervision of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

NCMF-10 Administrative Assistant III Mohammad G. Naga received the assistance comprising of eggplant, ampalaya, monggo beans, okra, string beans, squash and pechay which will be distributed to the Muslim women in Barangay Balulang of this city, as part of their planned activities amid the community quarantine.

“Aside from the women’s organization in Balulang, the NCMF also considers to include the veggie seeds along in the distribution of food packs to Muslim families, in some areas of Misamis Oriental,” Naga said.

The Plant, Plant, Plant Program also known as “Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) kontra COVID-19 is one of DA’s immediate moves to scale-up the country’s food production and sufficiency amid emergency crisis.# (EMB)

As Region 10 heightens its quarantine initiatives, the agriculture department extends its gratitude to the Philippine National Police (PNP), for braving and serving as frontliners during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Bukidnon police personnel represented by Provincial Director Roel L. Lami-ing, received balut eggs from DA, courtesy of San Miguel Foods, Inc. to help them boost their energy and nutrition while manning the different quarantine checkpoints. #

Some top officials in Mindanao convened, as four provinces, including Region 10’s own: Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte, agrees to serve as among the model rural resettlement communities under the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program, with the other two being Zamboanga del Norte and North Cotabato.

Pursuant to Executive No. 114 dated May 6, it aims to drum up development in the provinces by attracting workers to return to their hometowns, once community quarantines are lifted; thereby decongesting the country’s capital. Among the priority key areas are on agriculture, infrastructure, social welfare, health and employment, and local industries.

In attendance is Emmanuel F. Piñol, chief of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the office tasked to build the first ever rural resettlement model; Bukidnon Governor Jose Ma. R. Zubiri and Department of Agriculture – 10 executive Carlene C. Collado. #

Amid the pandemic, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) continues its provision of livelihood assistance through the dispersal of Itik Pinas and Free Range Chicken to beneficiaries in the region from April 21-30, 2020.

With a combined total of Php682,000, DA-10 turned over 1,280 heads of Itik Pinas and 84 heads of Free Range Chicken to recipients from Bukidnon (Maramag), Lanao del Norte (Iligan City), Misamis Occidental (Plaridel, Sinacaban, Jimenez, Aloran, and the Provincial Veterinary Office) and Misamis Oriental (El Salvador, Naawan and Claveria).

Under the Livelihood Assistance Program of the DA-10 Livestock Program, the said assistance aims to provide income-generating enterprise to recipients, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. #