El Niño-hit farmers seek rice subsidy

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – At least 5,000 farmers affected by El Niño camped out in front of the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday to demand rice subsidy.

The farmers from Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental left yesterday after meeting with DSWD officials, who agreed to give them 4,000 sacks of rice.

Aldersey Mumar de la Cruz, DSWD-Northern Mindanao assistant director for operations, said each of the 16,000 affected farmers would be given 25 kilos of rice.

De la Cruz said the rice allocation would be sourced from the National Food Authority in Valencia City.

He said the farmers requested that the rice subsidy be given to them or their organizations instead of coursing it through local government units. The farmers claimed that LGUs erased the names of some eligible beneficiaries.

De la Cruz said the regional office earlier released 2,000 sacks of rice to 5,000 farmers in Bukidnon.