OP to Cebu: Distribute P100M aid to farmers

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CEBU CITY — The Office of the President has instructed the Cebu Capitol to return P100 million unutilized funds to more than 27,000 Cebuano farmers and fisherfolk.

The special assistance was originally set aside for the the farmers and fisherfolk affected by the 2024 El Niño.

In a letter dated Aug. 27, 2025, the Office of the President (OP) reminded the Cebu provincial government that the funds under the Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolk, and Families (PAFFF) program were intended strictly as cash aid.

Each recipient was intended to receive up to P10,000 within 30 days of release to help recover from losses caused by the prolonged drought.

The money, however, remained unused after then-governor Gwendolyn Garcia proposed an alternative distribution scheme through QR-coded cards, which would have limited redemption to agricultural and livestock inputs.

Malacañang rejected the proposal twice, stressing that restricting aid to production inputs “deviates from the approved program implementation mechanics.”

The Palace emphasized that only direct cash transfers would give families the flexibility to meet their most urgent needs.

“We regret that your request cannot be granted,” Malacañang wrote in one of its replies to Garcia’s administration.

With the program period lapsed and the funds unutilized, the OP instructed Cebu Capitol to return the full P100 million.

Capitol records show 27,091 intended beneficiaries: District 1 (2,247), District 2 (8,619), District 3 (4,406), District 4 (1,472), District 5 (5,858), District 6 (503), and District 7 (3,986). All remain without aid more than a year after the funds were released.

Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, who assumed office this year, has appealed to Malacañang to allow the immediate disbursement of the money in cash as originally planned.

Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix Marie “Ace” Durano said the provincial government is ready to comply with the OP’s guidelines.

“Ang importante is madawat ‘ni sa mga recipients (what’s important is that the recipients receive this),” he said, adding that if cash distribution is required, “mao na atong buhaton (that is what we will do).”

Baricuatro has asked Malacañang to keep the P100 million in Cebu for distribution, stressing that what matters now is for the long-delayed assistance to finally reach the farmers and fisherfolk.

The PAFFF program, jointly implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is aimed to provide rapid intervention for families hit by the El Niño.

While other provinces released the aid, Cebu’s beneficiaries are still waiting.

Government data show that El Niño in 2024 hit 61 provinces with drought, 17 with dry spells, and three with dry conditions.

Cebu ranked among the hardest-hit, with rice, corn, and vegetable farms severely affected and fisherfolk reporting reduced catches due to warmer seas.

The Manila Times reported in June 2024 that Central Visayas had suffered an estimated P1.7 billion in agricultural losses due to El Niño, according to the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA-7).

At that time, DA-7 Field Operations Division chief Gerry Avila said high-value crops took the biggest hit at P1.5 billion, followed by rice (P139 million), corn (P105 million), and livestock (P1.2 million).