Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban and DA Ilocos Regional Field Office (RFO) Director Annie Bares led the awarding of various agricultural interventions worth P41.153 million (M) to Ilocos Norte farmers and local government units (LGU) on December 15, 2022.

The officials awarded a total of P26.5M to the Batac City LGU for the rehabilitation of six irrigation facilities damaged by severe tropical storm.

Another P13M was allotted for the rehabilitation of the Cabaruan canal lining to improve irrigation in the Municipality of Bacarra.

The North Main Canal Federated Irrigators Association Inc., on the other hand, received a combine harvester worth P1.418M.

In addition, 47 rice farmers from the towns of Pasuquin, Sarrat, Vintar, Batac, Paoay, and San Nicolas each received P5,000 cash or a total of P235,000 through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA).

On December 16, 2022, the DA Ilocos RFO also distributed 130 small ruminants under the Livestock Program. ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)