Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Thursday said the increased budget allocation for the agriculture sector will strengthen food production, ensure long-term food security, and promote rural development and inclusive economic growth.

Tiu Laurel expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., as well as to the Senate and the House of Representatives, for the DA’s PhP215 billion funding under the PhP6.793 trillion national budget for 2026.

“The increased allocation reflects a clear understanding that agriculture is central to food security, rural development, and inclusive economic growth,” Tiu Laurel said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

Tiu Laurel also thanked President Marcos for the strong support for programs to strengthen rice production, expand palay procurement and make rice affordable through the Benteng Bigas Meron Na program.

“These initiatives strike at the heart of our mandate, ensuring fair, stable prices for our farmers while making rice affordable for the Filipino people,” the DA Secretary said.

Following President Marcos’ directive, the Benteng Bigas Meron Na program aims to stabilize rice prices and make the staple food more accessible by offering rice at PhP20 per kilo to vulnerable sectors.

By strengthening procurement of palay, Tiu Laurel said the government has reduced farmers’ dependence on middlemen and provided them with a more reliable market for their harvest.

Meanwhile, in 2026, the Benteng Bigas Meron Na program will expand to reach as many as 15 million families, equivalent to around 60 million Filipinos, he said.

Tiu Laurel also said the DA budget significantly boosts funding for farm modernization.

“These investments are critical to lowering production costs, improving efficiency, and addressing labor constraints. Simply put, this will allow farmers and fisherfolk to earn more from the same effort,” he said.

“We also welcome the increased focus on digitalization, modern data systems, and digital platforms which will improve transparency, speed up service of delivery, and ensure that government support reaches the right people at the right time,” Tiu Laurel also said.

The DA secretary added that equally important is the continued investment in infrastructure, irrigation systems, post-harvest facilities, cold storages, farm-to-market roads, and deepwater agricultural ports, which reduce losses, raise productivity, connect producers more effectively to markets, and bring greater development to the countryside.

“The PhP215 billion budget is not just about spending more, it is about spending smarter to raise incomes, strengthen the agricultural value chain, bring real lasting development to the countryside,” Tiu Laurel said. | PND