Isabela rice aid drives farm economy

ILAGAN CITY, Isabela — Isabela’s flagship Rice Assistance Program is emerging as an economic lifeline for both farmers and consumers, with the provincial government recently expanding free rice distribution to nearly 1,000 more Education department personnel, while guaranteeing a market for locally produced palay (unmilled rice).

A total of 999 teaching and non-teaching employees in the towns of Angadanan and San Guillermo received their semestral rice subsidy as Governor Rodolfo T. Albano III pushed the province’s farm-to-table procurement strategy.

Under the program, the provincial government buys palay and rice directly from Isabela farmers, helping stabilize farm-gate prices and keep milling, packaging and distribution activities within the province.

Mr. Albano said the initiative has grown beyond a welfare program into an agricultural support mechanism that strengthens the local rice industry while reducing household food expenses. Savings from the rice subsidy allow beneficiary families to spend more on education, healthcare and other essential needs, he added.

The latest rollout also covered 500 Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit members as well as employees of the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Department of Trade and Industry in Isabela.

The expansion to Education personnel recognizes the role of teachers while further boosting demand for rice produced by Isabela farmers, one of the country’s biggest rice-growing provinces. The province’s steady government procurement has provided growers with a reliable buyer despite fluctuations in palay prices. — Artemio A. Dumlao