Residents of Kalayaan are not included among the beneficiaries of the Department of Agriculture’s ₱2,325 assistance program because no farmers or fisherfolk from the municipality are registered in the agency’s database.
DA Palawan Information Officer Monica Vergara said this during the August 25 Kapihan sa PIA when asked whether residents of Kalayaan were covered by the assistance program.
“Wala po kaming naitala sa Kalayaan,” Vergara said.
She explained that the main issue is the lack of registration in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), which the Department of Agriculture uses to identify farmers and fisherfolk who can receive government assistance.
“Ang problema po talaga ay ang RSBSA registration dahil wala naman silang mga agricultural areas na pwedeng irehistro doon,” Vergara said.
The RSBSA serves as the DA’s list of farmers and fisherfolk who may qualify for programs such as financial assistance, farm inputs, and other agricultural services.
DA officials said being registered is important because the agency uses the database when deciding who will receive its programs.
“Ang lahat ng interventions na ito mula sa DA ay hindi po matatanggap ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda hangga’t hindi sila nakarehistro sa ating RSBSA,” Lotioco said.
The situation is different in nearby Cagayancillo, where the DA has identified 146 fisherfolk who are eligible for the assistance. No farmers from the municipality are listed under the program.
The DA is coordinating with the Cagayancillo local government for the distribution of the assistance, although travel to the island has become difficult because of the rainy season.
During the Kapihan, the DA did not provide details on how farmers or fisherfolk in Kalayaan could be registered or become eligible for future assistance.
For now, the lack of RSBSA registration means residents who may otherwise qualify for agricultural assistance are not included in the DA’s current list of beneficiaries.
