Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday ordered a wide-ranging investigation into alleged irregularities in the Department of Agriculture’s procurement and distribution of farm inputs and machinery, escalating the agency’s response to complaints from farmers groups.
The move comes despite a routine review earlier this year that yielded no adverse findings. Tiu Laurel said the new probe would go beyond standard checks to ensure that public funds are spent properly and that any wrongdoing is rooted out.
“We invite these farmers groups and other organizations to help us ferret out the corrupt within our midst,” Tiu Laurel said. With the agriculture budget expanded under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., he stressed that every peso must translate into concrete support for farmers, fisherfolk and food producers. “We cannot allow these taxpayers’ funds to be squandered,” he added.
Tiu Laurel noted, however, that the DA last year investigated similar complaints from farmers organizations that resulted in the imposition of penalties.
The secretary also directed the DA’s legal team to investigate reported delays in fertilizer deliveries. Suppliers found to have failed in their obligations may face penalties or blacklisting, he said, signaling tighter enforcement of contracts as the planting season approaches.
In a parallel reform effort, Tiu Laurel said that the DA will test inorganic fertilizers to determine their efficacy in boosting production, as well as pilot a new procurement system for inorganic fertilizers this year. Farmers will be allowed to purchase eligible products directly using their Intervention Monitoring Card or IMC-linked e-wallet.
The DA aims for full implementation next year, where applicable, in a bid to streamline access to subsidies and reduce leakages in distribution.
At the center of the mechanization issue is the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, which managed P5 billion annually over the last six years under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund for machinery and postharvest facilities. They invite farmers to look at their website for real-time statistics of distributed machines.
The allocation for PhilMech under RCEF will increase with the tripling of funding under the revisions to the Rice Tariffication Act.
PhilMech strongly denied accusations that consultations with farmer beneficiaries were merely token. In a statement, the agency said all procurements undergo competitive public bidding in line with government procurement laws and auditing rules, with bid notices and results posted on official platforms.
PhilMech said it has sourced tractors, rice combine harvesters and other mechanization technologies from multiple qualified suppliers to ensure quality, competitiveness and suitability across diverse farming conditions. It added that structured beneficiary selection and face-to-face consultations are conducted to match equipment with farmers’ production requirements, land conditions and operational capacity.
PhilMech reiterated its commitment to transparency, accountability and farmer-centered implementation, emphasizing that technologies are deployed based on validated field needs and long-term sustainability.
The investigation ordered by Tiu Laurel now places the spotlight squarely on how agricultural funds are spent, with the DA signaling zero tolerance for inefficiency or abuse as it works to rebuild trust with the country’s farming communities.
