Aside from onion farming, Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA) program is now offering financial assistance to the rice farming, livestock, and fisheries needs of the farmers and fisherfolks of Miagao, Iloilo. According to April Joy Depamaylo, municipal technological agriculturist of Miagao, initially, the PLEA program is exclusive to farmers interested in growing bulb onions in line to the plan of DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol to expand the onion production area in Iloilo to 2,000 hectares from 205 hectares. Piñol turned over a P20-million cheque to the Rural Bank of Miagao, Inc last November 2017. The application and release of loans started right away in December.

Aranjuez, M. V. (2018, November 1). DA extends support to rice farmers, livestock raisers, and fisherfolks. The Daily Guardian, p. 13.