Ilocos norte: An estimated 3,000 tobacco farmers in Ilocos Norte are set to receive a fuel subsidy amounting to PHP3,000 each starting early next year. This development follows the approval of Resolution No. 2025-12-03 by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, which grants authority to Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta Marcos to enter into a memorandum of agreement with a gasoline station for the implementation of the provincial government's fuel subsidy program.
According to Philippines News Agency, engineer Teresa Bacnat, the acting provincial agriculturist, stated that the government will partner with a qualified gasoline station to distribute the fuel subsidy vouchers to the beneficiaries. The subsidy, which is sourced from the excise tax on tobacco products, aims to help tobacco farmers increase their yield and improve their livelihood.
The program will prioritize new tobacco farmers who have planted this year, with the intention of encouraging more farmers to cultivate tobacco. Currently, there are approximately 2,500 existing tobacco farmers in Ilocos Norte, excluding the new ones who have started planting this season.
In response to the rising cost of fuel, the Ilocos Norte government continues to assist farmers through this localized fuel subsidy program in collaboration with accredited gas stations. The beneficiaries include those who have not previously received any fuel subsidy from the government and are listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.
