(File photo)
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) will prioritize farmers and fisherfolk under the Registered System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) in distributing the PHP500-million fuel subsidy.
DA Assistant Secretary-designate for Operations, Arnel de Mesa, told the Philippine News Agency on Friday that it is not possible to assist everyone, given the limited budget.
"We have only PHP500 million so the DA will select the beneficiaries with priority to those in the RSBSA," he said in a text message.
The RSBSA is an electronic compilation of basic information of farmers, farm workers, fishers, and other target agriculture-related beneficiaries of the DA.
According to the Implementing Guidelines for the Provision of Fuel Discount for Farmers and Fisherfolk, the beneficiaries of the fuel discount are farmers or fisherfolk who own and operate agricultural and fishery machinery individually or through a farmer organization, cooperative or association.
The farmer or farmer cooperative and association must own and operate a functional machinery, with any of the following proof of ownership: certificate of machinery and equipment registration from the local government unit; certification from Municipal Agriculture Office of the ownership of a functional agricultural machinery; and sales/cash invoice/delivery receipt, deed of donation, or memorandum of agreement with transfer of property receipt.
The fishers, on the other hand, must be registered under FishR (Fisher Registry), using motorized bancas of three gross tons or below, registered under BoatR (Boat Registry), and must be using legal gears.
The beneficiaries shall be given a 30-percent fuel discount or a maximum PHP3,000 each upon purchase of gasoline or diesel fuel from a designated fuel station.
The implementation will be between the last week of March to first week of April. (PNA)
