COTABATO CITY, Aug. 12 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) 12 (Soccsksargen) distributed a total of PHP7.9 million worth of cash assistance to over 3,400 farmers and fisherfolk in North Cotabato and South Cotabato provinces on Wednesday.

DA-12 Regional Executive Director John B. Pascual said the distribution of the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (PAFFP) aims to provide direct cash assistance to registered agricultural workers and fishers in the region, easing the burden of rising fuel, input, and production costs and supporting rural livelihoods and food security.

In Antipas, North Cotabato, the DA-12 distributed PHP3,178,275 to 1,367 beneficiaries.

"Great relief for the high cost of living," Aling Eping,...