Marcos birthday wish: Agri sector development

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

FILE: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the distribution of Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs) to ARBs in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, on Friday. (PCO Photo)

MANILA – One of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s wishes for his birthday is for the country’s agriculture sector to further develop.

Marcos, who turned 67 on Friday, said he hopes to improve the lives of Filipino farmers as well.

“‘Yung buong sistema ng agrikultura ay ang birthday wish ko, mabuo na natin, para maganda ang takbo ng sektor ng agrikultura, para gumanda ang buhay ng bawat magsasaka, ng kanilang pamilya, at ng bawat Pilipino (My birthday wish is let’s build an agricultural system so that the agricultural sector will run well, so that the lives of every farmer, their family, and every Filipino will be better),” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the launching of the Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid Program in Guimba, Nueva Ecija.

Marcos said he wants all Filipino farmers to benefit from the projects and programs that are being implemented by government agencies, especially the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Marcos said it feels good to celebrate his birthday with local farmers, adding that it becomes more special because of their warm welcome when he arrived at the Our Lady of Sacred Heart Gymnasium to lead the launch.

“Kayo ang bumubuhay sa ating bayan. Sa inyo nagmumula ang ating kasaganahan. Sa inyong mga kamay nakasalalay ang seguridad ng pagkain ng ating bansa (You are the ones who provide for our country. Our abundance comes from you. The food security of our country lies in your hands),” he said.

“Nararapat lamang na gunitain natin at kilalanin natin ang inyong kabayanihan at bigyang-pugay ang inyong walang kapantay na kahusayan at kasipagan (It is only fitting that we commemorate and recognize your heroism and pay tribute to your unparalleled excellence and diligence),” Marcos added.

During the distribution of certificates of condonation with release of mortgage to agrarian reform beneficiaries in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, Marcos said he wants to celebrate his birthday with farmers to honor their hard work and sacrifice to achieve food security in the country.

Marcos vowed that his administration would work hard to promote farmers’ rights and welfare.

“Tulung-tulong po tayo na paunlarin ang ating buong bansa. Sa tulong ninyo, sa pagkaka-isa po ng ating mga kapwa Pilipino, ito po ay maaabot din natin ang ating mg pangarap (Let’s work together to develop our entire country. With your help, with the unity of our fellow Filipinos, we can achieve our dreams),” he said.

Marcos also expressed optimism that the DA’s new credit program and the condoning of agrarian reform beneficiaries’ (ARBs) loan would help increase the income and productivity of Filipino farmers.

Marcos said the new initiative would allow farmers to earn PHP105,000 per hectare, which will be processed through their Interventions Monitoring Card (IMC).

Under the DA’s Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid Program, each farmer will get an IMC which can be used to buy seeds, fertilizers, and other farming tools through accredited merchants.

Marcos said the government would also grant PHP32,000 worth of financial aid to each beneficiary farmer, noting that this would be given in four tranches every first week of each month.

“Magsilbi sanang puhunan ang programang ito sa pagbuo ninyo ng inyong [pangarap]. Hangad namin na matulungan kayo sa pagtahak sa bagong landas tungo sa isang maunlad na bukas para sa inyo at sa bayan (May this program serve as your capital to realize your dreams. We wish to help you on your new path toward a progressive future for you and the country),” he said.

“Nandito lang po ang pamahalaan at nakikinig kami sa inyong mga daing. Ito po ang laman ng isip namin mula paggising hanggang sa pagtulog, kung paano kayo matutulungan (The government is here to listen to your concerns. This is what we think about as soon as we wake up until we go to bed, how to help you),” Marcos added.

He said the National Food Authority (NFA) would also help by buying farmers’ harvest in the amount of five tons or 100 sacks of palay (unhusked rice) at prices not below PHP21 per kilo.

The DA’s Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid Program is a credit facility offering low-interest loans to help farmers access necessary funds for their agricultural needs.

The program aims to help rice farmer-members of agricultural cooperatives across 1.2 million hectares nationwide.

It provides low-cost credit, financial assistance, and a ready market for their harvests. For the dry cropping season (2024-2025), it aims to offer credit facilities to 50,000 hectares of rice farmers and cooperatives.

New hope

Under Republic Act (RA) 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed 9,832 COCRoMs, relieving 6,000 ARBs from paying their loans amounting to PHP276.7 million, and covering an equivalent land area of 10,445.19 hectares.

Marcos said the loan condonation would enable farmers to recover from the losses they incurred during the onslaught of recent disasters that hit the province.

He added that the debt-free farmers no longer need to worry about their expenses.

“Sa tulong nito, maiibsan ang bigat ng inyong mga pasanin at magkakaroon ang lahat ng pagkakataong makabangon at makapagsimulang muli (This program aims to help ease your burden and give you all the chance to rise again and start anew),” he said.

“Kami po’y naniniwala na sa pagwawalang bisa ng pagkaka-utang na ito ay giginhawa ang buhay ng ating mga benepisyaryo (We believe that through this condonation, the lives of our beneficiaries would become more comfortable),” Marcos said.

There are still an additional 4,640 ARBs in Nueva Ecija who will get the same certificates, which are expected to be given by October this year.

This brings the total condoned debt for the ARBs in the province to PHP511 million.

In Central Luzon, Nueva Ecija has the largest number of ARBs and the biggest number of ARBs benefiting from RA 11953.

There are 13,241 ARBs in the province that will benefit from the measure, according to DAR data.