Following the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance program of the Bicol Agriculture Office last year, more than 127,000 rice farmers in the said region who are tilling up to two hectares of land each received P5,000 in financial assistance.

In an interview, Department of Agriculture Bicol Information Officer Lovella Guarin said on Tuesday that the beneficiaries were farmers registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, a database for agricultural workers that serves as a targeting mechanism for the identification of beneficiaries for different agriculture-related programs and services of the government.

"This is one of the benefits of being registered in the RSBSA. Farmers are ensured that they can get assistance from the government," she said, noting that the agency has registered beyond 550,000 farmers in the database who can make use of the government's agricultural programs.

Guarin described government aid to local farmers as ‘extensive ‘and ‘comprehensive,’ as it includes agricultural loans, crop and livestock insurance, the provision of seeds, fertilizers, and other farm inputs, technical assistance, and soil analysis.

"Aside from providing cash assistance, DA-Bicol is committed to supporting our rice farmers by distributing a range of interventions. We believe that these measures will help farmers increase their yields and improve their overall productivity," she added.

Apart from supporting corn and high-value crop producers, as well as animal breeders, the DA provides live animals, medicine, and biologics for animals.