PLANTING. Farmers planting rice in Tabontabon, Leyte in this July 20, 2022 photo. The Department of Agriculture is validating the registration of over 103,000 rice farmers in Eastern Visayas to find out if they are qualified to receive aid from the government.(Photo courtesy of DA) TACLOBAN CITY - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is validating the registration of over 103,000 rice farmers in Eastern Visayas to find out if they are qualified to receive assistance from the government. Of the number, only about 2,250 individuals have been certified as qualified as of mid-July, said Andrew Rodolfo Orais, chief of the DA regional field operations division, in an interview Wednesday. "Through validation, we are making sure that we will only create an electronic wallet account for qualified farmers. We will download cash assistance through their e-wallets," Orais told the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The registered rice farmers in the region have been listed under the national Re