On his 67th birthday, President Marcos vowed that his administration would continue introducing agricultural and healthcare reforms to ease the burden of common Filipinos.
He called for greater synergy in the agriculture sector during the “Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid Program” launch in Guimba, Nueva Ecija.
“I really want every farmer in the Philippines to feel the impact of this program, as well as all the initiatives we’re working on at the Department of Agriculture (DA) with all the support of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and other financing institutions,” the President said.
“My birthday wish for the entire agricultural system is to bring it all together so that the sector runs smoothly, improving the lives of every farmer, their families, and all Filipinos,” he added.
The program, spearheaded by the DA, DBP, and Planters Products Inc., extends financial assistance and resources to farmers to improve agricultural productivity.
“With the help of this program, every farmer will receive what’s called an Interventions Monitoring Card or IMC—I already have one, which can be used to buy seeds, fertilizers, and other farming tools from accredited merchants,” the President stated.
“No more worries about being ripped off on the price. No more concerns about running out of funds,” he added.
The financial assistance totals P32,000, to be distributed in P8,000 monthly installments over four months.
Additionally, the National Food Authority (NFA) will buy palay harvests at P21 per kilo, ensuring farmers can earn up to PHP 105,000 per hectare.
In addition to his focus on agriculture, Mr. Marcos also announced the “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat para sa Lahat” program, which aims to cover hospital expenses for patients in public Level 3 hospitals.
The Department of Health (DOH) is set to release P328 million to 22 tertiary hospitals nationwide.
Simultaneously, the chief executive launched the “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat para sa Lahat” program, providing P3.19 billion in aid and services nationwide through various agencies.
Under the program, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will set aside P1.38 billion for aid, job fairs and provisional employment initiatives.For its part, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will provide skills demonstrations, training slots, and free services.
The President also assured that his administration would continue distributing Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs) to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in Nueva Ecija.
During the COCROM distribution and agri-credit assistance turnover in Palayan City, he announced that 4,640 farmers are set to receive their COCROMs.
The chief executive led the initial province-wide distribution on Friday, with a total of 6,000 ARBs having received their certificates.
A total of 13,241 ARBs in the province will benefit from this measure, with over 4,000 more expected to receive their COCROMs in October.
This initiative, part of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, will erase over 270 million pesos of debt for agrarian reform beneficiaries in Nueva Ecija, easing their financial burdens.
In keeping with the nationwide nature of the Handog ng Pangulo initiative, the Office of the President and the Batangas Provincial Government also gave out much-needed assistance on the chief executive’s birthday.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto was joined by Governor Hermilando Mandanas and Vice Governor Mark Leviste in the distribution of financial assistance to locals.
Recto said over 50 million Filipinos will benefit from this allocation this year in the different programs of the government.
“You know that we Filipinos have a habit that when there is a birthday, we give gifts but, on this day, our president has a gift ready for all Batanguenos and Filipinos,” he said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Marcos celebrates birthday with P3.19B in aid, government services.”
