CEBU CITY – The Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA-7) has started distributing cash and food subsidy vouchers worth PHP5,000 each to qualified marginal farmers in the region, as part of the government’s aid during the coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) pandemic.

The assistance is under the Cash and Food Subsidy for Marginal Farmers and Fishers (CFSMFF) Program of the DA funded under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).

Norberto Ouano, DA-7’s corn program coordinator, in a statement on Friday said that the distribution of vouchers is ongoing in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

For Cebu alone, a total of 6,048 corn farmers have been scheduled to receive the PHP5,000 voucher for a total of PHP30.24 million.

“These vouchers have a QR code indicating the amount of PHP5,000 each divided into PHP3,000 for cash and PHP2,000 for food subsidy. These (vouchers) were prepared and sent to us by our DA-Central Office, had underwent data filtration and verification with the enrolled farmers in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA),” Ouano said.

He said the program is to “ensure that they (farmers) have not received any government cash subsidy from other government agencies to avoid duplication of assistance”.

In claiming the assistance, each farmer-beneficiary will have to present his voucher to MLhuiller, the accredited cash payout provider for the cash subsidy.

On food items, recognized food suppliers in Cebu are the Cebu People Multi-Purpose Cooperatives, Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative and Compostela Market Vendors Cooperative.

“These cooperatives will act as food suppliers of the PHP2,000 worth of food items, which include PHP1,000 worth of rice, PHP600 worth of dressed chicken and PHP400 eggs,” Ouano said. (PNA)