DA rolls out P75-M fuel assistance for fisherfolk

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced Monday a P75-million fuel assistance for fisherfolk amid the continuous increases of fuel costs and the ongoing market disruptions, with additional funds expected moving forward.

According to the DA, the fuel assistance will be given to over 15,000 fisherfolk through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, with the program set to be expanded through additional funds under the Presidential Assistance Program for Farmers and Fisherfolk.

“(W)e are implementing immediate and sustained interventions to assist our farmers and fisherfolk in overcoming the challenges brought about by the energy emergency,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

“These initiatives are designed not only to provide timely relief through fuel subsidies and logistics support, but also to strengthen our food systems by improving supply chain efficiency and expanding direct market access,” he added.

The DA said it has also intensified Kadiwa selling activities to support vegetable farmers in Benguet and nearby provinces affected by the oversupply and weak market absorption, along with high transport costs.

It has requested that 38 trucks given to farmers cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and local government units (LGUs) be used to support hauling of produce, in addition to the five Kadiwa trucks of its regional office in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

This comes as fuel retailers last week hiked prices anew, marking 13 straight weeks of increases for gasoline, and the 15 for both diesel and kerosene.

The Department of Energy (DOE) earlier projected rollbacks of P4.43 per liter for gasoline, P20.89 per liter for diesel, and P8.50 per liter for kerosene based on the average international trading price in the past week, and comparing that to the average of the previous week. — RSJ, GMA News