President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday led the launch of the Department of Agriculture’s Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid (APP) program, a comprehensive initiative designed to provide financial and technical support to qualified rice farmers.
The program offers access to input credit, monthly allowances, and intervention monitoring cards to help improve agricultural productivity and farmer livelihoods.
The event gathered around 2,000 rice farmers from Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, and South Cotabato.
APP is a collaborative effort among the Department of Agriculture (DA), its regional field offices, the National Rice Program, Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), National Irrigation Administration, National Food Authority, Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, Planters Products Inc., and the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. described the program as a potential game-changer for the agriculture sector, aiming to make farming a more bankable and profitable venture.
Through APP, eligible rice farmers may receive up to P60,000 in support, which includes credit for farm inputs and a monthly allowance. A portion of the loan is insured to protect against risks from unforeseen events, with a low annual interest rate of just 2 percent.
Initially rolled out in Kalinga, Apayao, and Nueva Ecija, the program has already disbursed P183.4 million out of a total P360 million in approved loans, benefiting 1,352 farmers cultivating a combined 2,024 hectares.
Credit is extended by the DBP to members of registered farmer cooperatives, while the ACPC finances individual rice farmers.
In addition to financial assistance, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) awarded P6.5 million worth of farm machinery to three farmer cooperatives.
Libsur Irrigators Association Inc. received a P1.92 million rice combine harvester, while Dajay Riverside Irrigators Association Inc. was granted a P2.3 million four-wheel tractor. Llmito Irrigators Association Inc. also received a P2.3 million four-wheel tractor.