The Department of Agriculture (DA) expressed gratitude to senators for crossing party lines to approve its P184.1-billion budget for 2026, strengthening efforts to boost food security and accelerate rural development.
Senators, during plenary debates Tuesday night, also signaled openness to increasing allocations for the DA during the upcoming bicameral conference committee.
“Now that the Senate has passed our budget, we can plan and make sure that everything is implemented properly, at the right cost, at the right time,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said, calling the approval a critical step toward stabilizing food supply and improving the lives of farmers and fisherfolk.
The 2026 spending plan funds programs to raise production efficiency, widen market access, and modernize the agricultural value chain—initiatives Tiu Laurel said will “plant the seeds to restore the role of the agriculture sector as a meaningful contributor to economic growth, job generation, and an investment-worthy venture.”
Agriculture currently accounts for around 8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, yet provides one job for every five Filipino workers, underscoring its central role in rural livelihoods despite its relatively small share of the economy.
Economists have long noted that improving local productivity could significantly reduce import dependence, create more domestic employment, and save the country billions of pesos in foreign exchange—objectives the DA says its 2026 programs aim to support.
A significant share of next year’s outlay is directed toward capital investments, including post-harvest facilities and new farm-to-market roads. These projects, the DA chief noted, support the goal of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reduce food prices by cutting transport and spoilage losses.
Senators vowed to find ways to add funding for high-value crop development and more farm-to-market roads, citing their potential to raise productivity, lower costs, and improve rural incomes.
The 2026 DA budget submitted to the Senate on Tuesday night includes: Office of the Secretary – P140.02 billion; Agriculture Credit Policy Council – P3.36 billion; Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – P11.61 billion; Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority – P423.23 million; National Fisheries Research and Development Institute – P743.51 million; National Meat Inspection Service – P677.49 million; Philippine Carabao Center – P959,337 million; Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization – P479.89 million; Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries – P264.40 million; and the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority – P677.15 million.
Attached corporations will also receive major allocations: National Dairy Authority – P531.02 million; National Food Authority – P11.29 billion; Philippine Coconut Authority – P1.92 billion; Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation – P7 billion; Philippine Fisheries Development Authority – P2.11 billion; Philippine Rice Research Institute – P979.83 million; and the Sugar Regulatory Administration – P1.02 billion.
Tiu Laurel said the Senate’s backing paves the way for a “more resilient and more future-ready” agriculture sector in 2026.
