Marginal farmers and fishermen, and agri-fishery enterprises, will soon benefit from a P1-billion loan facility the Department of Agriculture (DA) will extend under a financing program to help them cope with the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic on them. In a statement on Friday, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said his department’s Agriculture Credit Policy Council had approved the funds for the program to provide these workers and enterprises with the capital they need to continue working or operating during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine. “The country’s farmers and [fishermen], who we consider as food security ‘frontliners,’ play a crucial part in our fight against Covid-19. That’s why it is important that we continue to empower them to ensure continued production and delivery of food to our countrymen.”

Gomez, E. J. (2020, April 5). DA to offer P1-B loan to farmers, fishermen. The Manila Times, p. B7.