Manila: A total of 254,707 farmers and fishers out of the 318,942 targeted beneficiaries in the Ilocos Region have received cash assistance under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF) Program.

According to Philippines News Agency, Department of Agriculture-Ilocos Region (DA-1) project evaluation officer Milagros Dela Rosa shared in a forum Tuesday that 119,869 individuals have received assistance as of July 13, out of 145,183 validated beneficiaries in Pangasinan. In La Union, 45,830 out of 46,566 received assistance; in Ilocos Sur, 69,856 out of the validated 71,805 were completed; and in Ilocos Norte, 19,152 out of 55,388 beneficiaries were processed, she said.

Each qualified beneficiary received PHP2,325. Dela Rosa explained, "So, we still have the remaining or unclaimed cash assistance, including for our fishers. What we are doing here is revalidating, and we will coordinate with our local government units to inform the beneficiaries and claim the remaining unclaimed balance."

Beneficiaries have expressed their gratitude for the assistance. Alfredo Mu±oz, a 57-year-old farmer from Mangatarem, indicated that the assistance is a significant help. "We would use it to purchase oil for our water pumps since we need it now because of the El Ni±o," he shared in Filipino during an interview Tuesday.

Lito Austria from San Carlos City also expressed appreciation for the support from the national government and the DA. "With the challenges of life, this is a big help. My family will spend this financial aid wisely," he mentioned.

Felicidad Bugarin from Bayambang said she would use the money to buy medication and seedlings. "It is an additional budget for our family. It's very timely for us," she commented.

The PAFF program aims to cushion the impact of the fuel price hike caused by the crisis in the Middle East.