Digital Portal Speeds Up Farm Loan Access for Negros Farmers
BAYAWAN CITY, Negros Oriental — Farmers in Negros Oriental are gaining quicker access to government-backed loans following the rollout of a digital platform designed to simplify and speed up agricultural financing.
The upgraded Agri-Credit e-Portal (ACE Portal 2.0), developed by the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) under the Department of Agriculture, is helping streamline loan applications through the Agri-Puhunan and Pantawid (APP) Program.
The system allows farmers to submit applications and complete required documents during field onboarding activities, significantly reducing processing time.
During a recent orientation in Bayawan City, around 230 farmers successfully applied for loans on-site with the assistance of the Cooperative Bank of Negros Oriental, one of ACPC’s partner lending institutions.
Nationwide, more than 3,800 farmers have already enrolled in the APP Program, reflecting the growing use of digital tools aimed at improving farmers’ access to government financial services.
ACE Portal 2.0 speeds up the loan process by simplifying data encoding, verification, and application processing. The digital platform reduces paperwork and eliminates long procedures that often discourage farmers from seeking credit.
During barangay-level onboarding, farmers can immediately register and complete their loan applications. The portal is linked to the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture to quickly confirm farmer eligibility.
It is also integrated with the Interventions Monitoring Card system of Universal Storefront Services Corporation, which provides farmers with a debit card where loan proceeds are deposited.
Other agencies supporting the initiative include the National Food Authority and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, along with the local government of Bayawan City.
Under the APP Program, rice farmers cultivating between 0.7 and 7 hectares can borrow up to P60,000 per hectare as working capital. The loans also include free crop insurance and government-backed purchase of harvested crops.
ACPC Executive Director Rallen Verdadero said bringing the program directly to farming communities helps widen access to financing.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. added that the initiative forms part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize the country’s agriculture sector.
He said digital tools like ACE Portal 2.0 are helping make financial services faster, simpler, and more accessible to farmers, enabling them to invest in productivity, strengthen food security, and build a more resilient agricultural sector.
Meanwhile, a house-to-house information campaign continues across Negros Oriental, with additional onboarding activities scheduled in the municipalities of Tayasan and Ayungon.
NPO News Team | DA Press Office - PR
