Over 50K Surigao Sur residents benefit from gov’t rice assistance
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur (PIA) — More than 50,000 residents across eight local government units (LGUs) in Surigao del Sur benefited from the Provincial Government’s rice augmentation program under the Local Government Support Fund–Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGSF-FALGU), helping ease household food expenses and strengthen food security.
According to Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) Chief Hershey Nuñez, a total of 50,572 sacks of 10-kilogram rice have been distributed as of June 23 to identified beneficiaries in the province’s municipalities and city.
The allocations were distributed as follows: 5,311 sacks in Cortes, 4,128 in Lanuza, 8,860 in Carrascal, 4,933 in Madrid, 9,800 in San Miguel, 4,654 in Cantilan, 3,077 in Carmen, and 9,809 in Tandag City.
Among the beneficiaries is Marivic Itaas, a resident from Carrascal town, who said the rice assistance enabled her family to stretch their limited budget and set aside more of their income for other essential needs.
“Nagpasalamat ako kay naabtan kami sa tabang gikan sa nasyonal nga panggamhanan ug patas usab ang pagpanghatag sa among lokal nga panggamhanan dinhi sa Carrascal” (I am grateful that assistance from the national government reached us, and that our local government in Carrascal distributed it fairly), Itaas said.
She also acknowledged the continued support of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Carrascal, recalling that the municipality has regularly distributed rice assistance to residents about twice a year.
The same appreciation was shared by Raquel, a resident of San Miguel town, who said the rice augmentation helped reduce her family’s food expenses.
“Mapasalamaton ako sa lokal og nasyonal nga panggamhanan nga patas ang pagpanghatag, kay tanan apektado sa krisis” (I am thankful to the local and national governments for ensuring that the assistance was distributed fairly since everyone was affected by the crisis), she said.
She added that the assistance allowed her family to prioritize other important household needs while giving them confidence that government support reached those who needed it most.
The rice augmentation program reflects the government’s continuing commitment to strengthening food security and supporting vulnerable families through responsive social protection initiatives. By easing the cost of staple food, the program allows households to redirect limited resources to other basic needs while reinforcing the partnership between the national and local governments in delivering meaningful assistance to communities. (NGPB, PIA Surigao del Sur)