For millions of Filipinos living in the Philippines, rice is a basic food that is always available. According to Navata and Turingan, (2013) it is grown on around one-third of alienable and disposable land in the country. Because of its significance, rice has emerged as the food that is most responsive to social, political, cultural, and economic factors in this country. As a result, guaranteeing a sufficient, consistent, and inexpensive supply is vital. The low cost of rice, as noted by Mendoza and Torres, (2019) has a severe impact on wages and living conditions of Filipino farmers. The Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) has caused rice prices to fall, which has impacted net sellers, or rice growers. The removal of quantitative rice import limits has put pressure on farmers incomes as a result of increased competition from imported rice. These conditions make it difficult for Filipino farmers to retain their means of subsistence and achieve economic security. The Palay Marketing Assistance for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU) initiative was put into effect, according to a 2023 report by the National Food Authority (NFA) to boost palay prices countrywide by PhP1.00 to PhP5.00, depending on the capacity of Local Government Units (LGU). The Palay Marketing Assistance for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU) implemented a PhP1.00 incentive program in Roxas City and province of Capiz to encourage farmers to sell to the NFA. Local governments assist rice farmers through the PALLGU Palay Procurement Plan, governed by a Memorandum of Agreement with the NFA. For every kilogram of delivered palay with a moisture content of 14%, a purity of 90% or more, and only 7% of damaged and discolored grains, the farmer receives PhP23.00, the maximum amount set aside for buffer stocking incentives. The programs objectives are to develop controllable buffer stock, purchase farmers produce and ensure their livelihood during times when farm gate prices for produce are low, and support government disaster relief programs during natural or man-made tragedies. This is in accordance with the NFAs mandate to maintain an ideal level of buffer stock at all times for use in emergency situations. To achieve these objectives, it uses a range of tactics and methods, such as buying palay coming from individual farmers as well as from farmer associations, processing, and buffer stocking, transporting milled rice and paddy to key sites, and distributing the produce to different marketing outlets at suitable seasonal intervals (Bhuiyan et al., 2024).

There are, however, insufficient data accessible to measure the impact of pricing policies on the move-ment of Palay in markets along with a determination as to its benefit to farmers and price stability, despite the apparent importance of rice in the market and the governments responsibility in stabilizing its prices as the primary objective of the NFA. To obtain insights into sustainable rice production and supply in Capiz, this investigation was carried out to assess the level of implementation of a new program called PALLGU, as well as to learn about the difficulties farmer-bene-ficiaries faced when taking part in the program. This study assessed how well the PALLGU program was being implemented in terms of its activities, inputs, intended results, outputs, and mechanisms. It also examined how the farmer-beneficiaries in Roxas City were categorized based on factors like age, gender, family income, educational attainment, and the quantity of cavans of palay produced annually. The study also examined the difficulties the farmer-beneficiaries faced while attempting to use the PALLGU program after being categorized based on their profile. Likewise, it determined whether the level of implementation of the PALLGU program acted as predictor of the level of challenges encountered by the farmer-beneficiaries and to gain insights towards sustainable rice supply and price stability for the province of Capiz.

The Premium Incentive and Rice Assistance (PRICE) of the National Food Authority, in collaboration with the PALLGU, were found to be a suitable framework for incorporating this idea into the study. Local Government Units (LGUs) are encouraged to join PALLGU by the National Food Authority. The NFA maintains rice buffer reserves that can only be obtained from nearby farmers and purchases palay from the farmers. During emergencies, disasters, lean months, and when rice prices are high, the LGUs use NFA to provide food to their residents. Under the LGUs PALLGU program, the farmer sells the palay they produce to NFA.

The study employed a mixed-method research approach. This study was conducted at the different barangays of Roxas City, Capiz, where farmer-bene-ficiaries availed of this Palay Marketing Assistance for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU) program. This was participated by 321 farmer-beneficiaries of PALLGU from a population of 1,633 in the province of Capiz. This sample size was calculated using the Cochran formula. Data were gathered through a researcher-made survey question-naire as research instrument, validated by six experts in the field of public administration, the Department of Agriculture, the National Food Authority, the PALLGU, and the psychometrician of Capiz State University Main Campus. The statements in the survey questionnaire were retained, revised, or removed as recommended by the validators. The validated survey questionnaire was then reliability tested to 30 participants from the municipalities of Pontevedra, Dumarao, and Roxas City, Capiz not included in the actual survey. A reliability coefficient of 0.885 proved the questionnaire was reliable and was conducted to the respondents. Further, the study enjoined the participation of five (5) Municipal Agriculturist and one (1) Acting Assistant Branch Manager of National Food Authority (NFA) as informants. They were interviewed to gather information about the imple-mentation of Palay Marketing Assistance for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU) program and the challenges encountered for not joining PALLGU program. To analyze the data gathered, statistical tools such as frequency, percent-age, and mean were used as descriptive statistics, while regression analysis was employed to determine whether the challenges encountered by the farmer-beneficiaries acted as predictors of the level of implementation of the Palay Marketing Assistance for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU) program.

The level of implementation of Palay Marketing Assistance for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU) as a whole is presented in Table 1. The result of the study revealed that the level of implementation of the PALLGU had a grand mean score of 3.94, verbally interpreted as “implemented”. The three components of the level of implementation had total mean scores ranging from 3.86 to 4.03, all of which were interpreted as “implemented”. The component program activities/inputs had a total mean score of 3.94, while intended outcomes/outputs had 3.86, and mechanisms employed had 4.03. The result implies that the farmer-beneficiaries of PALLGU in Roxas City believe that the PALLGU implementation was implemented at an observable level because its intended outcomes/output benefited 1,633 farmer-beneficiaries in 2023 and availed of the PhP1.00 price support per kilogram of palay. However, this also suggests that the implementation was not able to maximize its capacity since some of the rice farmers were not able to sell to them and had to sell to traders in the area.

Moreover, the result further indicates that the National Food Authority (NFA) was reliable in their pricing and that the farmers were aware of this, the classification of palay is well-implemented and that local farmers were given priority when buying palay. The result supported the conclusion of Alam et al. (2014), who found that local rice procurement should be supported by the government in order to help rice farmers support their income. However, Sabur et al. (2003) contended that in the absence of a procurement system, intermediaries like traders and millers benefit instead of the farmers.

The implementation of the PALLGU program is mediocre in the perception of its farmer- beneficiaries and this led to their challenges encountered. The additional PhP1.00 to PhP3.00 is not enough to entice the farmers to sell to NFA. There is a need to expand the program from mere financial nature. In working towards its improvement, implementers need to focus their attention to the young farmer-beneficiaries, the women, those with higher education, and with income below PhP10,957 and who produces less than 200 cavans. These groups require more inputs and observed outcomes to perceive the program as well implemented. The major issue that limited the availment of the program was on the absence of drying equipment for their produce to qualify and be sold to NFA and avail of the program. Farmer-beneficiaries struggled with bringing their palay to the buying station of NFA due to lack of assistance in transporting their produce from the harvest location. Additionally, some requirements, both individual and from the organization, were found difficult to process and comply, resulting to the farmer giving up their opportunity to sell with NFA and enjoy the PALLGU additional income. These circumstances also limit the impact of the program to the farmers, agriculture sector and local government in terms of economic benefit and ensuring food security. The young farmers, those with some education earning below PhP21,913 and producing less than 200 cavans, are more challenged due to their limited resources and capabilities. The implementers need to focus on this group to motivate them to sell again to NFA and avail of the program. Focus maybe targeted in the processing of documentary requirements, reducing difficulty in complying with Palay moisture require-ment and bringing the buying station near the farmer or assist them in bringing their produce to the buying stations.

The researcher is grateful for the valuable help received in this endeavor from the informants/ participants, the National Food Authority, and the College of Management at Capiz State University Main Campus, Roxas City, Capiz.

The author has declared that she has no conflicts of interest.