LINGAYEN, Pangasinan: The provincial government of Pangasinan, through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, spearheaded the Awarding and Distribution of Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolk, and Families (PAFFF-OP) at the Narciso Ramos Gymnasium on August 15 here.
PAFFF, which aims to ease the economic stress of beneficiaries severely affected by El Nino, is a project of the Office of the President in collaboration with the House of Representatives and the Provincial Government of Pangasinan.
Provincial Agriculturist Dalisay Moya said that a total of 1,977 beneficiaries from the 11 LGUs of Districts I, II, and III received ten thousand pesos each (P10,000), or the sum of nineteen million seven hundred seventy thousand pesos (P19,770,000.00).
The beneficiaries include the municipalities of Bani, Dasol, and Infanta for the 1st District; Aguilar, Bugallon, Lingayen, and Mangatarem (2nd District); and Bayambang, Malasiqui, Mapandan, and Sta. Barbara for the 3rd District.
Mangatarem town, an agricultural area, got the most PAFFF recipients with 1,094, followed by Malasiqui (301) and Lingayen (176), respectively.
Lourdes Tolentino, one of the PAFFF beneficiaries from Mangatarem, expressed her gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the DA, Governor Ramon V. Guico III, and Mangatarem Mayor Ramil Ventenilla.
“Malaking tulong po itong ibibigay nila sa aming magsasaka dahil doon sa pangyayaring El Nino na konti lang ang aming mga produktong naani. Laking pasasalamat namin dahil yung mga dinudulog namin ay nabigyan kami ng mga financial assistance tulad nito. Nagpapasalamat po ako, kaming lahat po kasi naririnig nila yong mga hinaing namin bilang magsasaka. Lagi po kasi kaming lugi sa pagsasaka. Dumaan ang El Nino, dumaan ang La Nina, hirap po talaga kami sa budget,” Toletino said.
“Kami po na inyong mga opisyales, kami po ay andito upang siguraduhin sa inyo na ang serbisyo ng gobyerno, ang serbisyo ng Kapitolyo, makakarating mismo sa inyo. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin po yung tarabaho natin; maghahanap pa rin po tayo ng programa na siyang makakapag-pagaan ng buhay ng ating mga kababayan dito sa probinsiya. Yan po yung commitment ng administrasyong Guico na pagandahin ang buhay ng lahat,” Vice Gov. Mark Lambino said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Guico thanked the President as he urged the PAFFF beneficiaries to spend their financial assistance wisely.
“Gamitin natin sa tama, sa pamilya, puhunan sa ating pangingisda, pagtatanim at pagsasaka, the governor said.
Earlier, 1,491 farmers, fishermen, and families in the 4th and 5th districts benefitted from the PAFFF, while the remaining 1,408 from the 6th district have yet to receive their financial assistance.
This will bring the total number of PAFFF beneficiaries in the entire province to 4,876.
Activity attendees were Norween Cervera, Provincial Rice Program Coordinator Pangasinan; 2nd District Board Members Haidee S. Pacheco and BM Philip Theodore E. Cruz; 3rd District BM Shiela Marie F. Baniqued and BM Vici Munda C. Ventenilla; Provincial Treasurer Cristy C. Ubando; and Mangatarem Mayor Ramil Ventenilla.
(Chona C. Bugayong, Orlan Llemos, and Joey Olimpo/PIMRO).
