THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is P68 billion short of the P96.107 billion in additional funds needed to cover increases in production, fertilizer and fuel costs as well as El Niño preparations, Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told a Senate panel on Wednesday.
The Senate Committee on Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (Protect), an ad hoc body chaired by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, was created in March 2026 to assess government interventions vis-à-vis the Iran war.
Tiu Laurel said that the DA had P28 billion in available funds, including those from its current budget and P8 billion in savings last year.
The P68-billion shortfall, Tiu Laurel said, would have been covered by funds approved by the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (Uplift) and the Department of Budget and Management.
Uplift is part of government measures to address the effects of the Middle East conflict by ensuring stable fuel supplies, securing food and transport supply chains, and protecting vulnerable sectors through coordinated agency action.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto have committed to source P45 billion of the P68 billion shortfall, Tiu Laurel said, noting that Marcos has initially ordered the release of P6 billion for agricultural transport, fuel assistance and alternative fertilizers.
At the Senate hearing, Tiu Laurel enumerated DA interventions to mitigate the effects of the Middle East conflict:
– The one-month toll fee exemption for accredited vehicles transporting agricultural commodities;
– Continued expansion of the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! program offering P20 per kilogram rice to vulnerable sectors, including senior citizens, solo parents, beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), farmers and fisherfolk, as well as tricycle and jeepney operators and drivers;
– A proposal for a P50/kg price cap on imported rice, endorsed by the National Price Coordinating Council and awaiting an order from the president;
– A plan to increase the minimum access volume (MAV) for corn, pork and chicken, which requires coordination with industry stakeholders and an agreement on the specific volume;
– A proposed P10 per liter of fuel subsidy for agriculture transport in provinces in northern Luzon; and
– P1.5 billion allocation from the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) for the agriculture sector, prioritizing fisherfolk and Benguet farmers.
