The Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Credit Policy Council (DA-ACPC) through its Expanded SURE Aid and Recovery Project or SURE COVID-19 has downloaded a total of P70.05 million loan funds to its partner lending conduits in Region 10.  From this amount, some 2,800 marginalized small farmers and fishers (MSFF) in the region whose livelihoods were affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to avail themselves of a non-collateralized loan worth P25,000 with no interest payable up to 10 years.

The DA-ACPC has tapped five (5) partner lending conduits namely Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PMPC), Philippine International Travel Assistance Center Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PITAC MPC), Mindanao Consolidated Cooperative Bank (MCCB), Bangko sa Balay Foundation, Inc., and Lorenzo Tan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LTMPC) covering 5 provinces in the region to implement the said program.

DA-ACPC Program Management Officers Mary Grace Tambus, Cyvil Gregorio, and Runy Crusio reported that out of the total disbursed, P10 million was fully disbursed to 399 MSFFs from Misamis Occidental through the PMPC; P10 million was disbursed to 400 MSFFs from Bukidnon through the PITAC MPC; P8.6 million was disbursed to 345 MSFFs from Misamis Oriental through the BBFI and MCCB.

The DA-ACPC continues to extend affordable and accessible credit to marginalized small farmers and fishers in the countryside to help increase their farm productivity and ensure food sufficiency amid pandemic.