The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) conducted a Consultation and Orientation on the Provincial Palay Buying Program on January 22, 2026, aimed at strengthening coordination and ensuring a common understanding among key stakeholders involved in the program’s implementation.

In connection with Executive Orders issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., specifically Executive Order No. 100, which sets a floor price for palay, and Executive Order No. 101, which mandates the full implementation of the law requiring government procurement to be directly sourced from agricultural producers, the province has established the Ani Mo, Paliton sa Probinsya, Syudad ug Munisipyo Program. This program aims to provide assured and fair floor pricing for palay, seeking to protect farmers from unstable market prices and exploitative trading practices. In determining the floor price, key considerations include production costs, prevailing market prices, and reasonable margins for farmers, thereby helping improve farmers’ income and overall welfare.

The consultation and orientation provided a venue to clarify roles and responsibilities, address implementation concerns, and gather inputs from partner agencies and local government units to ensure the smooth and effective rollout of the program.

The activity was attended by a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and author of the Palay Buying Program, Hon. Henrich M. Pimentel; Provincial Agriculturist Mr. Esmeraldo S. Raymundo; and OPAg staff. Representatives from the National Food Authority (NFA), the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Program Coordinating Office (DA-APCO), as well as Municipal and City Agriculturists and their respective representatives, were also present.