MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III on Tuesday pushed for stronger farmers’ and irrigators’ associations and better market access, arguing that raising farm incomes is essential to securing the country’s food supply.
“Food security begins with farmer security,” Dy said in a message delivered by Bulacan 2nd District Rep. Augustina Dominique “Ditse Tina” Pancho during a meeting of farmers’ and irrigators’ associations for the Sagip Saka Program in San Miguel, Bulacan.
Dy said higher agricultural productivity would mean little if farmers could not secure fair and reliable markets for their produce.
“A farmer may have good land, sufficient water and a good harvest, but if that farmer cannot find a fair and reliable market, hindi pa rin sapat ang kanyang kikitain,” he said.
He pointed to the Sagip Saka Program as a way to connect farmers and their organizations with government and institutional buyers, allowing them to participate more directly in the agricultural value chain.
The Department of Agriculture reported 13,656 registered enterprises under its implementation of the Sagip Saka Act as of July 2026, with procurement awards reaching P2.92 billion.
“But we want to do more. Our objective is not just better productivity; our goal is better incomes for our farmers,” Dy said.
The House chief also cited the proposed P198.4-billion 2027 budget for the Department of Agriculture and its attached corporations, which covers production, mechanization, post-harvest facilities, market access, crop protection and livestock programs.
Dy said the chamber would ensure that agricultural spending produces tangible benefits for farmers, including higher yields, lower production costs, better market access and increased household incomes.
He also underscored the role of irrigators’ associations, noting that only 2.2 million hectares of an estimated 3.13 million hectares of irrigable land were served by irrigation systems as of end-2025.
Strong farmers’ and irrigators’ organizations, he said, could give producers greater bargaining power, better access to government assistance and more opportunities to sell directly to buyers.
“We want to reduce the distance between the farm and the market,” Dy said.
