While he welcomes the government’s move to release cash assistance from the P10-billion Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk to cushion rising production costs and ongoing challenges in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan also urged the immediate unlocking of some P18 billion from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) unused 2025 budget for fuel and fertilizers subsidies.

The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform and has sponsored and defended the DA’s budget for this year, said that the DA must utilize its unused funds allocated for 2025 for critical programs for farmers and fisherfolk. 

“Hindi pa ba sapat na ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda ang pinakamahirap na sektor ng ating bansa? Kailangan pa ba nila patuloy na magdusa dahil sa sigalot sa Middle East?,” he asked.

“Nakakahinayang ang araw-araw na lumilipas na mayroon pala tayong maaaring perang magamit pangtulong sa ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda pero nanatili itong ipit sa burukrasya,” the senator added. 

Pangilinan urged the DA to move quickly in identifying the funds that may be lawfully realigned or deployed under existing rules, stressing that timely support for local production could help stabilize food prices and reduce the country’s dependence on imports at a critical time.

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced the release of the P10-billion Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk, which will amount to P2,325 for each of the 4.175 million beneficiaries from the farmers and fisherfolk sectors. 

But this is separate from the P18 billion—P8 billion from unobligated 2025 continuing appropriations and P10 billion in unreleased 2025 farm-to-market road appropriations—that the DA earlier identified as possible sources for a crisis response. 

During a hearing on the impact of the Middle East crisis on the agriculture and fisheries sectors, the DA identified possible funding sources under the FY 2026 General Appropriations Act, including around ₱1 billion from energy conservation and belt tightening measures, around ₱2 billion from basic research allocations, and around ₱16 billion from the fertilizer budget.

About ₱32 billion, or roughly 20 percent of the DA Office of the Secretary’s budget, may still be tapped for possible realignment, subject to the necessary presidential issuance and existing laws and rules.

“Hindi na kakayanin pa ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda ang hintayin ang makupad nating burukrasya. Bawat piso ay mahalaga para maprotektahan natin sila at ang ordinaryong mamimiling Pilipino,” Pangilinan said. 

The senator has earlier warned against a possible food shock that could impact Filipino households and local food production. 

He explained that the ongoing conflict threatens global supply chains, particularly for essential commodities such as fuel, fertilizer, and key food imports, which lead to rising production costs and higher food prices domestically.

While the timely release of funds is essential to address the immediate pressures facing farmers and fisherfolk, the hearing also sought to identify medium term solutions that would strengthen local production and make the agriculture and fisheries sectors more resilient to future shocks.