KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) – The government continues to prioritize food security and enhance the agricultural sector through initiatives designed to empower farmers while ensuring that rice remains affordable for Filipino families.
Among these initiatives is the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) Farming Support Services Program (FSSP), which has delivered substantial support to rice farmers in the SOCCSKSARGEN region.
Noel Nito Gabrillo, a 57-year-old farmer and rice vendor from Koronadal City, remains optimistic despite facing challenges in the rice market.
Gabrillo observed that the price of a 25-kilo sack of rice has recently decreased from P1,200 to P900, recognizing the potential benefits of government programs such as the FSSP.
“Sana magbenta rin kami ng bigas sa gobyerno para kahit paano ang mga tao makapunta rin sa amin,” Gabrillo stated.
(I hope we can also sell rice to the government, allowing people to find their way to us somehow.)
Through the FSSP, NIA Region 12 is confident that it has reached significant milestones in providing coverage and benefits to farmers throughout the region.
According to NIA’s acting Institutional Development Section chief, Theresa Ibarra, as of April 2025, the program has supported a total of 5,846.42 hectares of farmland.
This total includes areas managed by the Cotabato Irrigation Management Office (IMO), totaling 1,720.42 hectares; the South Cotabato-Sarangani IMO (2,426 hectares); the Sultan Kudarat IMO (1,180 hectares); and the Maguindanao IMO (520 hectares).
Ibarra said that a total of 264 Irrigators Associations (IA) and 4,334 farmers have been directly benefiting from the program.
Farmers enrolled in the FSSP received essential support, including cash subsidies for agricultural inputs to ensure high yields, financial compensation after harvest, and access to a marketing arm that facilitates the sale of rice.
Under this initiative, farmers can sell rice at P29.00 per kilogram to vulnerable individuals and provide 25-kilogram bags at P35.00 per kilogram, ensuring affordability for consumers while supporting farmers’ livelihoods.
In collaboration with the Kadiwa program, NIA has also distributed 3,578,060 kilograms of milled rice—equivalent to 357,806 bags of 10-kilo rice—to marginalized sectors in the region as of the second week of April 2025. (SZT, PIA Region 12)
