The Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Credit Policy Council (DA-ACPC) through its partner lending conduit, the Cooperative Bank of Cotabato (CBC) – Kidapawan City Branch released P 11.7 million loan funds to 470 marginalized small farmers and fishers (MSFF) under the SURE COVID-19 program.  Each MSFF from Brgy. Ilomavis, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato received an interest and collateral-free loan worth P25,000 payable in 10 years.

Some of the beneficiaries were senior citizens and will be using the loan as working capital for their damaged farms due to two major crisis which affected their livelihoods: the earthquake that hit the province in late 2019, and the current COVID-19 pandemic. ACPC’s Program Management Officers Mace V. Ladio, Farra Leopoldo Penas and Irize Joy Panes Tabayag, together with the DA Regional Field Office 12 (DA-RFO), Local Government Units (LGUs) and Cooperative Bank of Cotabato organized and facilitated the processing and release of loans to farmers and fishers.