President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday led the launch of the Department of Agriculture’s Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid (APP) program, a comprehensive initiative offering financial and technical assistance to eligible rice farmers. The program includes input credit access, monthly allowances, and intervention monitoring cards.

The event gathered approximately 2,000 rice farmers from the provinces of Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, and South Cotabato.

The APP is a collaborative effort involving the Department of Agriculture (DA), its regional field offices, the National Rice Program, Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), National Irrigation Administration, National Food Authority, Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, Planters Products Inc., and the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. envisaged APP as a potential game changer for the farm sector, with the potential to make agriculture more bankable and a profitable investment venture.

Under the program, qualified rice farmers will receive up to ?60,000 in support, combining credit for farm inputs and a monthly allowance. A portion of the loan is insured to help mitigate risks due to unforeseen events. The loans carry a minimal annual interest rate of 2 percent.

Initially launched in Kalinga, Apayao and Nueva Ecija, APP has already released P183.4 million out of the P360 million in loans granted to 1,352 farmers that till a total 2,024 hectares.

The DBP extends credit to members of registered farmer cooperatives, while the ACPC provides the financing for individual rice farmers.

In addition to financial aid, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) awarded ?6.5 million worth of farm machinery to three farmer cooperatives.

The Libsur Irrigators Association Inc. received a ?1.92 million rice combine harvester; Dajay Riverside Irrigators Association Inc. was granted a ?2.3 million four-wheel tractor; and Llmito Irrigators Association Inc. also received a ?2.3 million four-wheel tractor.

Also present during the launching of APP are Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno Chairperson of Mindanao Development Authority; Secretary Antonio Lagdameo Jr. Special Assistant to the President; DA Undersecretary Roger Navarro; Michael de Jesus DBP President and CEO; Philip G. Lo DBP Chairman; DBP; DBP Board Director Roberto V. Antonio; Ma. Zenaida Benedicto Angping PPI President and DA RFO 12 Roberto T. Perales. Department of Agriculture