20/05/2026
OZAMIZ CITY GOVERNMENT PROVIDES CASH AID TO 789 FARMERS UNDER ARFFA PROGRAM
via Bhal Cabrera | May 20, 2026
OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental — The City Government of Ozamiz City continued its push to strengthen local agriculture after 789 rice farmers received financial assistance under the “Asenso Rice Farmers Full Assistance (ARFFA) Program” during a distribution activity held Wednesday, May 20, at the Ozamiz City Gymnasium.
Led by the administration of Mayor Sam Norman Go Fuentes, the initiative provided qualified farmer-beneficiaries with reimbursements for land preparation and harvesting expenses incurred during the 2025 cropping season.
According to City Councilor Sancho ‘Sunny’ Oaminal Jr., each beneficiary received ₱6,500 per hectare for land preparation and ₱6,000 per hectare for harvesting costs, depending on the size of their farms.
City officials said the ARFFA Program remains one of the local government’s key agricultural assistance initiatives aimed at reducing farmers’ production costs while helping sustain rice production in the city’s farming communities.
The local initiative is also aligned with the broader agricultural development agenda of Governor Henry S. Oaminal Sr. and Congressman Henry ‘Indy’ Oaminal Jr., Congressman Ando Oaminal, who have consistently pushed for expanded agricultural support programs across Misamis Occidental to strengthen food security, improve farm productivity, and provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for farmers.
The ARFFA Program was first introduced during the term of Congressman Indy Oaminal as mayor of Ozamiz City and continues to receive support from the provincial leadership of Governor Oaminal alongside the city government and members of the City Council.
Aside from financial aid, the city government also continues to provide farmers with agricultural inputs such as quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and other farming necessities to help improve crop productivity.
Farmer-beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the continued assistance, saying the program has helped ease their farming expenses amid rising production costs.
Several recipients also voiced hope that the city government would sustain and further expand the ARFFA Program to benefit more farmers across Ozamiz City in the coming years.
