It has been almost 3 since Gov. Arthur Yap left the halls of Congress as the representative of the 3rd district of Bohol.

Even if Arthur Yap is now the governor of Bohol, a law that he crafted as a congressman’back in the day, now provides incentives to farmers at this time, according to the Provincial Information and Media Relations (PRIMER) office.

Farmers from Alburquerque received financial assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Jan. 29, 2022, the PRIMER report adds.

Around 223 farmers from Alburquerque town received P5,000 each in financial aid under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) program, the report reveals.

Farmers tilling farm lands with an area ranging from half a hectare to 2 hectares are identified as beneficiaries of the said program. The program includes farmers from 33 provinces including Bohol.

The RFFA is a program under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). The said fund was created by a law authored by Yap when he was still a member of the House of Representatives as the representative of the 3rd district of Bohol, the report quips.

The RCEF was created to improve farmers’ rice competitiveness and income amidst the liberalization of the Philippine rice trading policy that lifted quantitative restrictions on rice imports and replaced it with tariffs, according to the DA on its website.

Yap expressed elation over the implementation of the law that he authored as he thanked the officials of the DA for ensuring that the funds are being distributed to the intended recipients.

Aside from the farmers from Alburquerque, farmers from other towns in Bohol also received their respective financial assistance under the program, according to the PRIMER.

About 1, 303 farmers from Pilar, 1,478 farmers from Alicia, 280 farmers from Bilar, 36 farmers from Corella, 30 farmers from Loay,  574 farmers from Lila are recipients of the financial assistance from the DA.

Aside from the governor, in attendance during the financial assistance distribution event in Alburquerque were Mayor Don Richie Buates, Cong. Edgar Chatto, DA Regional Technical Director Cirilo Namoc, DA Regional Executive Director Joel Elumba, DA’s RFFA focal person Ma. Chona Maliza and Dr. Larry Pamugas, the Assistant Provincial  Agriculturist, the report bares.