P21 Billion Rice Deal For Filipino Farmers Approved By Duterte

Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Tuesday that President Duterte has approved the P21 billion worth of assistance to Filipino rice farmers. This deal will be benefited by poor families who are under the conditiona lcash transfer program (4P's).

"Last night, ipinag-utos po ng Pangulo na instead na imported rice ang gagamitin natin sa 4Ps [Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program] program – 'yung sa rice rationing – 'yung mga Filipino farmers na ang mag-po-produce," Department of Agriculture Secretary Piñol told reporters in the Senate hearing for department's budget proposal for 2017.

"Twenty-one billion pesos 'yun. Parang nanalo tayo sa bidding. 'Yung rice farmers parang nanalo sa bidding," Piñol said.

The Land Bank of the Philippines will finance the needs of local government units and cooperatives to support the needs of rice farmers with rice seeds, fertilizers and machineries.

The rice farmers products will be bought by the government at support prices and will be sold at "Bigasan ng Masa" outlets to sustain the rice allowance of 4P's beneficiaries.

President Duterte promised to prioritize the 4P's program on his administration and this is the start of it.

"Iyang Pantawid, I will continue it at saka dagdagan. Diyan tama si Aquino," he said, referring to former President Benigno Aquino III.

Source: GMA News