The provincial government is now validating the beneficiaries of the Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolk, and Families (PAFFF) from the province of Iloilo who are qualified to receive P10,000 aid.
On June 27, 2024, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. received P50 million from Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Binirayan Gym in San Jose, Antique. The assistance is intended for 5,000 farmers and fisherfolk in Iloilo who were severely affected by El Niño.
Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Ildefonso Toledo said the beneficiaries will come from the master list submitted by the municipalities to the Department of Agriculture VI and endorsed to the Office of the President.
These municipalities must have been placed under a state of calamity based on the record of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Another criterion is the date and time of submission of the master list.
A total of 22 municipalities submitted a master list listing 11,376 affected farmers and fisherfolk in the province.
“It is a very tedious job because we need to review the master list. It’s a work in progress,” Toledo said.
The provincial government is given one month to liquidate the financial assistance. Toledo said they have sought the help of the municipal agriculture officers to expedite the verification and avoid duplication of beneficiaries.
“We should be careful and we have to make sure that the qualified farmers receive the assistance,” he said.
The provincial agriculturist hopes there will be a second batch of PAFFF to cover the remaining 6,376 affected farmers and fisherfolk.
“The Office of the President is aware that 11, 376 farmers were affected by El Niño in Iloilo. So hopefully they can provide an intervention to assist the other 6, 000,” he said.
Meanwhile, Toledo said the provincial government has assisted such as distributing seeds to those whose farmlands were damaged by extreme drought.
(With a report from Vic Arroyo/ UPV Intern)
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