BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture–Negros Island Region (DA-NIR), has started distributing financial assistance to hundreds of farmers and public utility drivers under national government subsidy and recovery programs aimed at cushioning the impact of rising fuel and production costs.
A total of 613 farmers in Bacolod received cash assistance under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF) on May 13 at the Bacolod City Government Center lobby. Each beneficiary received P2,325.
The beneficiaries include rice, corn, and sugarcane farmers affected by higher production costs and other economic challenges in the agricultural sector.
Jose Albert Barrogo, DA-NIR regional executive director, said qualified rice farmers are those cultivating two hectares or less, while corn and sugarcane farmers have no land area limit, provided they are registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
Barrogo said the national government allocated P10 billion for the program, which is being distributed among rice, corn, and sugarcane farmers, as well as fisherfolk nationwide.
Payouts for fisherfolk beneficiaries will be handled separately by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region VI, which is processing the release of assistance.
The city government said it continues to coordinate with national agencies to ensure the orderly and transparent distribution of aid.
Meanwhile, Greg Gasataya announced the release of fuel subsidies for public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers in the city.
According to Richele Verdeprado-Mangga, the payout will be held from May 14 to 16 at the North Block of SM City Bacolod, beginning at 9 a.m.
Beneficiaries were advised to bring their valid driver’s license and a government-issued ID bearing a Bacolod address for verification.
A total of 2,111 PUJ drivers are set to receive P5,000 each under the fuel subsidy program, which aims to ease the burden of increasing fuel prices and operating expenses.
Earlier, the city government submitted a validated list of 10,551 drivers to the Department of Social Welfare and Development to expedite the distribution of assistance to the transport sector.
The consolidated list includes drivers of public utility jeepneys, public utility vehicles, and modernized jeepneys, as well as transport network vehicle service drivers affiliated with Grab, Maxim, inDrive, and JoyRide.
Drivers from logistics and delivery companies, including J&T Express, were also included in the validation conducted in coordination with transport associations and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board–Negros Island Region.
Gasataya said the assistance program covers all qualified drivers, including those who had previously joined transport protests, underscoring the city government’s commitment to support all affected sectors./PN
