Sen. Cynthia Villar. INQUIRER.net file photo / CATHY MIRANDA
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Cynthia Villar on Thursday said the P3 billion of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) 2020 national budget was transferred to Landbank of the Philippines for the financial assistance of farmers.
Villar, who is chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, explained that she decided to realign the budget because NFA showed less support on farmers’ rice.
“I have been investigating medyo mahina sila [NFA] bumili sa farmer, so I’d rather na ibigay na lang sa farmer as cash assistance para sigurado mabigay sa farmer because they gave it to help the farmers adjust,” the senator told reporters at the sidelines of Stratbase forum in Taguig City.
[They usually buy less rice from farmers so I’d rather have the budget given directly to farmers for cash assistance because they gave it for farmers to adjust.]
Villar noted that 600,000 farmers who own one hectare of land will each receive P5,000 worth of cash assistance.
The senator added that the House of Representatives already agreed to transfer P3 billion of NFA’s 2020 budget for farmers’ financial aid.