NIA aid to help Eastern Samar farmers market their palay

Posted on October 11, 2026 at 6:32 am

Borongan City, Eastern Samar — The Provincial Association of Irrigators will use its P100,000 assistance from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to help buy palay from farmers and find buyers for their produce.

Association president Odilon Desoloc said the group plans to support four main Irrigators’ Associations (IAs) by purchasing palay from their members, having it milled into rice, and looking for markets where the rice can be sold.

Desoloc thanked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and NIA for the assistance, which he said would help the association carry out its programs for farmers.

The Provincial Association of Irrigators received the funding during the Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat caravan held Monday at the Provincial Capitol Gymnasium in Borongan City.

Four main irrigators’ associations also received P300,000 each, bringing NIA’s total assistance to P1.3 million for the five groups.

The Provincial Association serves as an umbrella organization for the four main associations. Its planned palay-buying and marketing activities are intended to help farmers find buyers for their harvests by linking local producers with rice consumers.

The caravan was led by Eastern Samar Gov. Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone as part of activities marking Marcos’ birthday.

Around 25 national government agencies, along with provincial government offices, took part in the event, offering services and assistance in employment, education, livelihood, agriculture, health and social protection.

Assistant Secretary Rosalinda Bautista, deputy national statistician of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s PhilSys Registry Office, represented Marcos and delivered his message during the activity.

The caravan brought various government services to one venue, allowing residents to access available programs without having to visit different offices.

Photo courtesy: PIA 8