By GERALD LEIGH LAQUINON Correspondent OVER 5,000 El Nino-affected farmers barricaded the Sayre Highway in Valencia City to demand for government subsidy on Sunday. Led by Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Bukidnon (Kasama Bukidnon), the group decried what it called as the “unfulfilled promises of help” made by the provincial government. “Always in negotiations, the governor promises us help,” said Jun Benemerito, Kasama-Bukidnon secretary general. “But the actual aid is far from what we need, from what we have been negotiating for.” In April 22, the group said, Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri promised one sack of rice per household for Bukidnon farmers. This was to come from the calamity funds of the province. Zubiri and the farmers met again in April 25 but governor explained that he would not be able to provide what he promised because it would cost around P1.5 billion, and that he has to request budget from the national government. Benemerito said that the initial distribution of 1,400 sacks of rice in Dangcagan town was not enough to over 1,400 families affected by drought there. Also in Valencia City, the 2,000 sacks of rice released cannot meet the need. At the barricade, the farmers once again asked for appropriate subsidy: a sack of rice for each household until harvest time which is seven months away. Benemerito said they understand how busy the government officials are because of the election but he insisted that “this is not an excuse to abandon the farmers.” “We need to eat every day, and we cannot tell our stomachs to wait until the election is over,” said Benemerito.