Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday urged senators to support the proposed P216.1-billion budget for the Department of Agriculture (DA) for 2026, calling it an investment in food security and the future of Filipino farmers and fisherfolk.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance chaired by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Tiu Laurel said the proposed budget—upgraded from P176.7 billion by the House of Representatives—represents a long-overdue boost for a sector that feeds the nation but has long been underfunded.
“This is a meaningful investment in the future of those who diligently and faithfully feed us,” Tiu Laurel said.
He noted that years of limited funding have weakened agriculture’s role in the broader economy. Although the sector employs one in every five Filipinos, it contributed just 10 percent to gross domestic product last year.
Meanwhile, underinvestment has widened the country’s agricultural trade deficit as food imports grow to meet the needs of the second-largest population in Southeast Asia.
Despite being the backbone of the economy, millions in the sector remain among the country’s most financially vulnerable—some unable to afford the very food they produce.
“As their representatives, it is our duty to be their advocates—to speak for them, to help them fulfill their dreams, realize their hopes, and empower them not only to uplift their own lives but also to sustain the tens of millions of Filipinos who rely on them for nourishment,” Tiu Laurel told lawmakers.
The DA’s 2026 priorities, guided by the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, focus on agricultural modernization, increasing incomes for farmers and fishers, and building resilience through infrastructure, climate-smart technologies, and disaster preparedness.
“This budget is not just about funding—it is about fairness, urgency, and shared responsibility,” he said.
