TABUK CITY, Kalinga – In response to comments from some concerned individuals regarding the distribution of Fertilizer Discount Vouchers (FDV) to the farmers in the city conducted the previous week, the Office for City Agricultural Services (OfCAS) clarified that the final list of those who received FDVs came from the records of the Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and not directly from their office.
OfCAS OIC Head Lim Docyugen revealed that when the DA returned the final list, not all of the farmers who had registered under the Registration System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) in Tabuk City had been included.
According to Lim, the DA’s rules meant that some farmers were not eligible for the FDV.
Apart from other qualifications that were established, one of the rules they followed was that a farmer to qualify should have 2 hectares or less of rice farm land.
During the distribution, Agricultural Center Head Edwin Joseph Franco and Docyugen kept an eye on the fertilizer suppliers during the distribution and advised them to rigorously adhere to the right procedures in order to avoid future legal and accounting issues.
Records kept by the DA showed that 4,024 voucher recipients from 40 different barangays in Tabuk City received vouchers totaling to Php 24,000,677.48.
In accordance with DA Memorandum Order 65, the fertilizer discount voucher was eligible in regions where inbred and hybrid rice seeds are utilized for planting.
A resilient and food-secure Philippines with capable and prosperous farmers and fisherfolks is the ultimate goal of the program.
According to Ducyogen, there will be a second batch for farmers who were not included during the previous distribution which will be released after the list is completed.
Farmers who are not registered under the RSBA are urged to do so in order to take advantage of agricultural services in the future in order to avoid being excluded from government programs. By Ian Jefrey Addatu