NABUNTURAN, Davao de Oro —Less than 24 hours after promising stronger support for agriculture in his State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. brought that message to the ground on Tuesday, leading the distribution of more than P115 million worth of agricultural assistance to farmers, fisherfolk, and irrigators in this mineral-rich province.
Accompanied by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., the President turned over a package of production support that included a rice combine harvester, a four-wheel tractor, four motorized fishing boats, 15,000 tilapia fingerlings, 24,359 bags of certified inbred rice seeds, hybrid rice seeds, fertilizers, inputs for corn production, HDPE pipes for vegetable farming, and assistance under the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! program.
The visit in this capital town of Davao de Oro effectively translated the President’s SONA commitments into tangible interventions, underscoring the administration’s strategy of pairing affordable food programs with investments designed to raise farm productivity and rural incomes.
“The interventions will benefit rice and corn farmers, irrigators’ associations, registered fisherfolk, and farmers throughout Davao de Oro listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture,” Tiu Laurel said.
The assistance package reflects the Department of Agriculture’s continuing push to modernize Philippine agriculture through mechanization, improved seeds, fisheries support, and better access to production inputs. The approach aims to help farmers reduce production costs, improve yields, and strengthen resilience against rising input prices and climate-related challenges.
For an administration that has repeatedly identified food security as both an economic and social priority, investments in farm machinery and production support have become central to its long-term strategy of increasing domestic food supply while keeping prices stable.
“The President’s message in the SONA was clear: food security begins by empowering those who produce our food,” Tiu Laurel said. “When we invest in better equipment, quality seeds, fisheries, and modern farming technologies, we are investing in higher incomes for farmers and fisherfolk and a more secure food future for every Filipino.”
He added that sustained collaboration among the DA, Regional Field Office led by RED Macario Gonzaga , local government units, irrigators’ associations, farmers’ cooperatives, and fishing communities remains essential to building a more competitive and climate-resilient agriculture sector.
The Davao de Oro rollout is expected to benefit thousands of producers across the province and serves as an early demonstration that the administration intends to quickly follow through on the agricultural priorities outlined by President Marcos in his fifth State of the Nation Address.
