Municipal agriculture personnel from the 11 towns have reportedly received criticism from legitimate farmers who were not included in the list of recipients of the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF) that was distributed last week in Catanduanes.
The complaints claimed that the list of recipients included some who are already dead while many farmers were left off the list that was based on the Department of Agriculture’s Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
An agriculture official contacted by the Tribune belied the allegations, saying that the list downloaded by the DA Regional Field Office was validated based on the PAFF program guidelines provided by DA Memorandum Circular No. 11, Series of 2026.
The program covers eligible rice, corn, and sugarcane farmers and fisherfolk affected by economic instability due to the recent geopolitical tentions.
Aside from being registered with RSBSA, the farmers must be actively engaged in the cultivation of rice at the time of the economic instability and must be tilling or operating farms of not more than two (2) hectares.
On the other hand, the fisherfolk must be registered under RSBSA-BoatR and must be actively engaged in fishing operations at the time of the market disruption.
Those who have sold their farms or boats or have stopped farming or fishing are not considered beneficiaries of the PAFFP, along with vegetable farmers, livestock raisers and those engaged in High Value Commercial Crops (HVCCs).
According to reports from the DA Regional Field Office No. 5, almost 7,000 farmers were slated to receive P2,325 each in cash aid during the distribution period from April 29 to May 3, 2026.
A total of P15,975,075 had been allotted for the 6,871 beneficiaries from the 11 towns, broken down as follows: Bagamanoc, 348; Baras, 419; Bato, 774; Caramoran, 345; Gigmoto, 343; Pandan, 912; Panganiban, 775; San Andres, 385; San Miguel, 348; Viga, 1,669; and Virac, 553.
The cash aid for the fisherfolk will be distributed by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which downloaded the list of recipients to municipal agriculture offices for validation.
An official of the Virac agriculture office said that verification of the 600 fisherfolk included in the BFAR list reduced the prospective beneficiaries to about 300, as half of the fisherfolk have either sold their bancas or stopped fishing.
The agriculture offices have reportedly queried the DA regional office if they can fill up the list with fishermen who have newly enrolled in BoatR.
They also recommended that vegetable growers, livestock and poultry raisers as well as HVCC farmers be included in the PAFFP.
According to DA-RFO, a total of P640 million has been allocated for Bicol region under the PAFF Program, which aims to alleviate the impact of rising oil prices and mitigate potential food inflation affecting agricultural workers.
The program will benefit 169,480 palay farmers, 50,970 corn farmers, 1,200 sugarcane farmers, and 38,400 fisherfolk in Bicol’s six provinces.
Aside from the PAFF, the DA is ramping up efforts for the distribution of fuel subsidies to farmers and fishers, sourcing funds for additional intervention in production, input costs and logistics, and the provision of post-harvest facilities.