# Senate Committee on Finance: DA - October 21, 2026 — Source-Linked Digest

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Daq_PH9CM

AI-assisted working draft. AI can make errors. Always verify consequential interpretations and wording against the cited transcript and official video.

## At a glance

- **Climate, water and food resilience:** The hearing opened with El Niño risks to crop, livestock and fishery production. Members urged coordinated water storage, irrigation, drought response and timely assistance, and questioned whether existing contingency plans and resources would reach affected producers.

- **Budget execution and public accountability:** Questions tracked delayed releases, low utilization, procurement and documentation for irrigation, cold storage, farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities and other programs. Officials described implementation progress and agreed to provide additional lists, status reports and supporting records.

- **Trade, prices and enforcement:** Members examined the tension between farmgate returns and affordable food prices, import timing and permits, tariffs, smuggling and safe disposal of seized products. Officials described possible actions and enforcement limits; proposed import restrictions remained tentative, and the hearing did not establish a general fertilizer-import ban.

- **Fishers, smallholders and civil-society input:** The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) faced questions about commercial vessels in municipal waters, pending litigation and overdue case and production data.

- **Civil society and project transparency:** People's Budget Coalition (PBC) Co-convenor Kenneth Isaiah Ibasco Abante raised project-coordinate, cost and disclosure concerns and offered citizen and scientific monitoring. CODE-NGO Project Coordinator Timothy Salomon, speaking for PBC and Task Force Mapalad National Peasant Federation, urged local pest controls, farmer organization, family-farming support and access to land-use information.

- **Producer livelihoods and reliable data:** Members asked agencies to measure whether programs improved farmer and fisher income, and to reconcile production data used for import decisions. The discussion also covered farmer registration, cooperative access to services, livestock restructuring, sugar-pest assistance and milk-feeding delivery.

- **Plenary status:** The chair deemed the DA Office of the Secretary budget and attached agencies and corporations submitted for plenary consideration subject to requested documents. Outstanding submissions and proposed funding changes remained pending; the committee action was not an appropriation approval.

Reading note: Based on the completed transcript at revision 48. Linked turns retain the stated figures, scope, qualifications and outcomes. This digest is a draft for user review.

## Proposed budget totals and scope

### DA-family FY 2027 NEP and House bill

For FY 2027, the Department of Agriculture (DA) family's National Expenditure Program (NEP) proposal was ₱198.4 billion, compared with ₱210 billion in the House bill, according to Senator Erwin T. Tulfo. The chair's opening remarks separately cited ₱171.3 billion for the 2027 DA budget; the subsequent DA presentation used the higher NEP figure without reconciling this difference. The DA's original submission to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) was not quantified in the hearing. Later supplementary requests and livestock-restructuring proposals are separate from that original submission and the NEP.

[00:16:09 · asr-000106](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000106) · [00:16:30 · asr-000110](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000110) · [00:11:03 · asr-000058](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000058) · [00:49:38 · asr-000473](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000473)

### Wider agriculture-sector FY 2027 NEP

A separate presentation reported a ₱261.7 billion FY 2027 NEP total for the wider agriculture sector, comprising the DA, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). This broader sector scope is distinct from the DA-family total above.

[00:48:52 · asr-000469](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000469) · [00:49:01 · asr-000470](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000470)

## Department of Agriculture budget

### 2027 proposed budget

For FY 2027, the Department of Agriculture (DA) family's National Expenditure Program (NEP) comprised approximately ₱196.9 billion in new appropriations and ₱1.5 billion in automatic appropriations, according to Senator Erwin T. Tulfo. He said the House bill included ₱208.5 billion in new appropriations.

[00:16:17 · asr-000107](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000107) · [00:16:23 · asr-000108](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000108) · [00:16:30 · asr-000110](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000110)

### DA FY 2027 proposed allocation and comparison with the FY 2026 GAA

DA Undersecretary Nora C. Oliveros described the FY 2027 NEP allocation as a decrease of about ₱17.2 billion, or 8%, from the FY 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA). For the wider agriculture sector, including the DA, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), she reported a ₱35.3 billion decrease.

Oliveros said DA's FY 2027 allocation included about ₱8.3 billion for salaries and compensation (4.2%), about ₱66.2 billion for capital outlay (33.34%), and about ₱156 billion for operations. Maintenance and other operating expenses received 62.46% of the allocation. She attributed about ₱7.2 billion of the decrease to locally funded projects and said the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Program added ₱20 billion pursuant to law. She described that program's funding as a reallocation within the DA budget, rather than a separate addition to the department total.

[00:49:18 · asr-000471](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000471) · [00:49:30 · asr-000472](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000472) · [00:49:48 · asr-000475](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000475) · [00:50:04 · asr-000477](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000477) · [00:50:10 · asr-000478](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000478) · [00:50:27 · asr-000480](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000480) · [00:51:03 · asr-000483](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000483) · [00:51:18 · asr-000486](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000486) · [00:51:36 · asr-000488](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000488)

### FY 2026 DA fund utilization through September 30

For the DA, excluding attached corporations and covering current and continuing appropriations, Oliveros reported that as of September 30, 2026, allotments totaled ₱141.5 billion against ₱172 billion in adjusted appropriations. The DA had obligated ₱90.4 billion, or 63.9% of the allotment, and disbursed ₱50.8 billion, equal to 56.2% of obligations. Current appropriations had a 67% obligation rate and 58% disbursement rate; continuing appropriations had a 43.6% obligation rate and 38% disbursement rate. She said the department was monitoring utilization and had instructed agency heads to prepare catch-up plans for timely use of available funds.

[00:42:55 · asr-000414](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000414) · [00:43:01 · asr-000415](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000415) · [00:43:07 · asr-000416](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000416) · [00:43:12 · asr-000417](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000417) · [00:43:17 · asr-000418](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000418) · [00:43:27 · asr-000419](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000419) · [00:43:34 · asr-000420](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000420) · [00:43:37 · asr-000421](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000421) · [00:43:43 · asr-000422](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000422)

### Unreleased FY 2026 DA appropriations and subsequent releases

Oliveros reported ₱49.7 billion in unreleased appropriations for the DA Office of the Secretary as of September 30, 2026, and said ₱19.8 billion was released in October. She identified ₱18.68 billion for farm-to-market road projects and ₱500 million for the Agri-Food Hub among those releases. She separately listed ₱22 million for cold storage and digital agriculture projects and another ₱500 million for the Agri-Food Hub as unreleased at the September 30 cutoff, then confirmed a ₱500 million Food Hub release after that date; other requests remained under Department of Budget and Management (DBM) evaluation or awaited supporting documents. For attached agencies, she reported a pending ₱250 million for the Agricultural Credit Policy Council and ₱407 million for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources' mobile water treatment and desalination system, both subject to documentary requirements.

[00:45:18 · asr-000445](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000445) · [00:45:48 · asr-000446](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000446) · [00:46:32 · asr-000449](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000449) · [00:47:02 · asr-000452](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000452) · [00:47:18 · asr-000454](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000454) · [00:48:08 · asr-000462](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000462) · [00:48:21 · asr-000465](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000465)

### Attached agency, corporation and banner program changes

Oliveros said the Philippine Center for Post-Harvest Development and Mechanization, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries were the only DA attached agencies receiving increases; the other attached agencies declined. Among attached corporations, only the National Tobacco Administration received an increase, while all seven others declined. She cited a 15.89% decrease for the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority's fish-port construction, rehabilitation and improvement. She said the banner programs generally decreased: the National Rice and National Corn Programs by about 4.8% each, the National Crop Program by 4.54%, High Value Crops Development by 34%, National Organic by 0.48%, Halal Food by 10%, and National Urban and Peri-Urban by 53%. She clarified that the National Livestock Program's apparent decrease reflected a reallocation to the ₱20 billion Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Program. Climate-resilient agriculture, indigenous peoples' livelihood, Special Areas for Agricultural Development Phase 2 and the National Soil Health Program were mainstreamed into regular programs. The Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisher Folk, approved in FY 2026, was not recommended in the DA proposal but Oliveros said about ₱10 billion had been restored in the current General Appropriations Bill. She said foreign-assisted projects generally declined; the new French Government-assisted Farm-to-Market Bridge Program was the exception.

[00:52:59 · asr-000498](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000498) · [00:53:30 · asr-000504](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000504) · [00:53:39 · asr-000505](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000505) · [00:53:44 · asr-000506](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000506) · [00:53:46 · asr-000507](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000507) · [00:53:51 · asr-000508](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000508) · [00:53:56 · asr-000509](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000509) · [00:54:01 · asr-000510](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000510) · [00:54:18 · asr-000514](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000514) · [00:55:25 · asr-000527](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000527) · [00:55:58 · asr-000537](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000537)

### Rice-program spending and production shortfalls

In discussing the Department of Agriculture (DA)'s proposed 2027 budget, Senator Imee R. Marcos questioned why the Philippines continued to import rice despite substantial program spending. She cited a ₱30 billion rice-competitiveness funding, ₱10 billion for Rice for All, ₱11.1 billion for the National Food Authority (NFA), and ₱44.2 billion under the DA Office of the Secretary (OSEC), alongside rice spending under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) and foreign-assisted projects. She estimated direct rice spending at more than ₱81 billion. Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. put the recorded amount at ₱60 billion for direct production, distinguishing that from Rice for All and NFA spending; he said the NFA's ₱9 billion was not for production. Marcos also included a ₱10 billion presidential rice-assistance item in the overall total. The exchange cited different NFA amounts and program scopes, and did not reconcile Marcos's total with Laurel's direct-production figure.

Laurel said rice funding remained insufficient and identified irrigation as the leading need. He estimated ₱1.2 trillion would be needed to irrigate remaining lands. For DA responsibilities, he said more funding was needed for post-harvest facilities, especially dryers, and mechanization; when Marcos asked the amount for post-harvest, he estimated another ₱50 billion over time, clarifying that it was not needed immediately. Marcos agreed that agricultural infrastructure investment was insufficient and mentioned irrigation, farm-to-market roads, and post-harvest losses.

[00:58:40 · asr-000568](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000568) · [00:58:43 · asr-000569](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000569) · [00:58:57 · asr-000570](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000570) · [00:59:16 · asr-000572](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000572) · [00:59:38 · asr-000576](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000576) · [01:00:14 · asr-000584](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000584) · [01:00:17 · asr-000586](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000586) · [01:00:23 · asr-000589](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000589) · [01:01:19 · asr-000618](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000618) · [01:01:21 · asr-000619](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000619) · [01:01:23 · asr-000620](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000620) · [01:01:39 · asr-000627](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000627) · [01:01:41 · asr-000628](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000628) · [01:01:43 · asr-000629](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000629) · [01:01:47 · asr-000632](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000632)

### Solar irrigation budget

Marcos said she saw the DA reduce its solar-irrigation budget despite the anticipated El Niño. Laurel confirmed the reduction, explaining that the DA had proposed more but its proposal was cut at the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), after which the department had to work within a budget cap.

[01:02:17 · asr-000647](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000647) · [01:02:21 · asr-000649](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000649) · [01:02:27 · asr-000652](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000652) · [01:02:33 · asr-000654](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000654) · [01:02:34 · asr-000655](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000655) · [01:02:37 · asr-000656](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000656)

### Mitigation measures and requested budget support

Laurel said the DA was accelerating solar-water-irrigation deployment; he reported PHP 1.6 billion for those projects this year and said the amount might be augmented further. For next year, the department was requesting more solar pumps and irrigation, as well as solar-powered paddle wheels to aerate fishponds and reduce fish kills. He said heat could reduce poultry output; summer heat could ease African swine fever, though pork prices remained a concern.

Laurel described water management as critical, including alternate wetting and drying with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). He said high fertilizer prices risked farmers applying only five bags per hectare instead of ten. He said additional government fertilizer support through vouchers or cash would be faster than DA procurement, with support focused where water remained; he also identified small water impounding, pond deepening and liners as useful investments for rice, corn, other high-value crops and aquaculture. Laurel said El Niño events were becoming more frequent and that investments in the next-year budget would help farmers and fishers prepare for later events.

[01:33:03 · asr-001558](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001558) · [01:33:10 · asr-001561](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001561) · [01:33:52 · asr-001583](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001583) · [01:34:33 · asr-001603](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001603)

### Presidential assistance and whole-of-government response

Senator Sherwin "Win" T. Gatchalian said Congress had augmented presidential assistance to farmers and fisherfolk by PHP 10 billion previously and said the GAB again included a PHP 10 billion augmentation; Laurel confirmed that the assistance was meant to help affected farmers. Laurel described the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAF) as direct cash aid and said the amount would be small relative to a worst-case 4.6 million affected people. He said that for 2027 the DA had placed PHP 10 billion in PAF for direct cash assistance.

Laurel said the DA was pooling resources with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for affected people who could no longer plant or work, combining cash aid, food packs, TUPAD work, and possible canal work or land preparation. He said DSWD could respond and replenish funds faster, and described sending it to provide cash assistance in an affected area of Camarines Norte. He also identified collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH), Office of Civil Defense (OCD) under the Department of National Defense (DND), and other agencies. Gatchalian requested a detailed briefing on the El Niño response for the special committee on economic recovery; Laurel agreed to submit it. Laurel also listed fuel, fertilizer, seed and transport support and existing tollway logistics agreements, while hoping for more funding. When Gatchalian asked whether these were already embedded in the DA budget, the next turn is an affirmative attributed in the transcript to Gatchalian himself.

[01:42:31 · asr-001758](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001758) · [01:42:38 · asr-001760](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001760) · [01:42:59 · asr-001768](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001768) · [01:44:19 · asr-001786](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001786) · [01:46:36 · asr-001811](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001811) · [01:46:47 · asr-001812](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001812)

### Farm-to-market road funding, implementation and delivery capacity

Gatchalian asked why the 2026 farm-to-market roads (FMR) program, transferred from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the DA, had not yet been implemented. Laurel said transfer conditions required the DA to set up offices and staff; its request for a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) was delayed, the funds arrived in September and had to be returned at the cutoff, and the money was released again in October. Laurel said the DA was then ready to bid and expected 2026 implementation to proceed. For 2027, he said it would pre-procure from the NEP and stop short of award pending bicameral approval, to speed implementation.

Asked about the PHP 33 billion 2026 FMR program, Laurel said PHP 4.2 billion had been released in September and returned, and PHP 18 billion out of the PHP 33 billion was returned to the DA in October; when asked for the total released for 2026, he answered PHP 23 billion. Gatchalian also asked whether the transparency portal and website required by the special provisions were ready. Laurel said they were set up and ready, and that he required monthly project-by-project reports with photos, copied to the committee chair.

Gatchalian asked whether the DA's Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) had enough capacity to handle construction. Laurel said capacity had increased but was still insufficient, and that a special undersecretary had been assigned full time to oversee the work. He said rising input costs had brought the road cost back to its original level, averaging PHP 15 million per kilometer under otherwise equal conditions; contractors had said margins were narrow but agreed to take the work.

[01:47:30 · asr-001818](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001818) · [01:48:00 · asr-001824](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001824) · [01:49:24 · asr-001839](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001839) · [01:49:38 · asr-001844](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001844) · [01:49:49 · asr-001848](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001848) · [01:50:24 · asr-001855](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001855) · [01:52:00 · asr-001871](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001871)

### DA requests and House GAB addition for farmer assistance

Senator Joseph Victor ‘JV’ Ejercito asked whether the Department of Agriculture (DA) had requested the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisher Folk Program (PAF), noting that the House General Appropriations Bill included ₱10 billion although the National Expenditure Program (NEP) did not. DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the department left PAF out of its initial NEP proposal because of the fiscal cap, then asked Congress to add assistance in view of the looming El Niño. Ejercito supported the House provision and raised concern that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council calamity fund had been reduced by ₱9.5 billion.

[01:53:31 · asr-001895](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001895) · [01:54:40 · asr-001916](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001916)

### DA priority programs and proposed support

Asked which programs should receive additional support, Laurel identified expanded fertilizer assistance at about ₱8.7 billion, alongside hybrid solar-pump irrigation, irrigation for fish production, retarding basins, small water-impounding projects, and modernization of agricultural infrastructure and post-harvest facilities. Laurel agreed to submit the detailed list for committee review.

[02:01:24 · asr-002036](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002036) · [02:02:02 · asr-002043](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002043) · [02:02:12 · asr-002046](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002046)

### Farm-to-market roads and cold-storage implementation

Ejercito cited a proposed ₱16 billion for farm-to-market roads, while Laurel said the coming-year plan covered almost 1,100 kilometers. On cold storage, Ejercito said only 1.4% of the 2025 allocation had been disbursed. Laurel attributed the slow start to technical-design work, reported four setups turned over in Camarines Sur and the opening of the first mega cold-storage facility in Pili, and gave expected completion timing for Taguig and Cabanatuan. He described a broader rollout of about 70 modular facilities.

[02:08:07 · asr-002111](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002111) · [02:08:50 · asr-002121](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002121) · [02:09:11 · asr-002123](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002123) · [02:10:51 · asr-002147](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002147)

### DA assistance to local governments for RSSI

Azcona said the DA separately extended ₱35 million directly to local government units for RSSI-related assistance.

[02:15:56 · asr-002213](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002213)

### Tariff-funded rice-farmer assistance

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri asked whether tariff collections were still reaching rice farmers through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the assistance continued, but collections were below the ₱30 billion funding level he said should go into the fund: lower tariffs had produced only ₱13 billion or ₱15 billion, depending on the year, and distributions were correspondingly lower. Asked about efficiency and expenditures, Laurel called the program efficient apart from occasional funding delays and promised to submit a detailed report.

[02:42:05 · asr-002983](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002983) · [02:42:31 · asr-002996](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002996) · [02:42:37 · asr-002999](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002999) · [02:42:39 · asr-003000](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003000) · [02:42:43 · asr-003002](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003002) · [02:42:45 · asr-003003](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003003) · [02:43:10 · asr-003016](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003016) · [02:43:19 · asr-003020](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003020)

### Foreign-assisted counterpart funding

Zubiri relayed that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was concerned about a cut to the Philippine counterpart for a foreign-assisted project as he prepared to meet its representatives.

[03:01:05 · asr-003404](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003404) · [03:01:08 · asr-003405](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003405) · [03:01:12 · asr-003407](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003407) · [03:01:14 · asr-003408](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003408) · [03:01:15 · asr-003409](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003409) · [03:01:16 · asr-003410](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003410)

### El Niño response procurement and support

Asked what the DA would do if a declaration were made, Laurel said the DA had formed an El Niño task force that met weekly and had requested funding for its response. He described measures for crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries, aimed at limiting producer income losses and maintaining affordable food. The DA was deploying water pumps, solar-powered cold storage and irrigation. Laurel said it had procured additional biofertilizers worth PHP 2.2 billion for distribution in October and November. He also said the budget was prepared for additional presidential assistance, fuel support would be deployed soon, and toll agreements would provide agri-truck users with a rebate; he noted cross-cutting measures for basic commodities.

[03:08:39 · asr-003632](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003632) · [03:10:04 · asr-003676](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003676) · [03:10:05 · asr-003677](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003677) · [03:10:07 · asr-003678](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003678)

### Coordination and assistance across agencies

Pangilinan asked whether the DA had a clear, coordinated policy with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), like coordination with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), so its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) could reach food producers during a crisis and help them keep producing. Laurel agreed and said the Office of the Executive Secretary convened major departments almost every other week, with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Air Force involved in cloud seeding. He also cited shallow-well tubes, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) TUPAD work, DSWD AICS, and a hope that the OCD and DA Quick Response Funds (QRF) could support the response.

Laurel listed DA support including seeds, planting materials, fertilizer, animal dispersals, drugs and biologics; fisheries support included fingerlings, seaweed propagules and fish cages. He said the DA was improving crop-insurance registration in affected areas and cited additional financial assistance and agricultural recovery loans as ways to help producers recover.

[03:10:55 · asr-003701](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003701) · [03:12:10 · asr-003738](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003738) · [03:13:16 · asr-003771](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003771)

### Unfunded cloud-seeding requirement

Laurel said that cloud seeding was missing from the 2027 budget and that the DA needed an additional PHP 271 million for water management through cloud seeding; he said the need remained unfunded for 2027. Pangilinan said a calamity declaration might help locate the funds, apart from adding them to the 2027 budget. 

[03:16:05 · asr-003832](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003832) · [03:16:12 · asr-003833](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003833) · [03:16:17 · asr-003834](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003834) · [03:16:26 · asr-003836](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003836)

### House insertions, missing documents and project-cost flags

Kenneth Isaiah Ibasco Abante, co-convenor of the People's Budget Coalition (PBC), asked the Senate and Executive to review more than 7,054 House insertions in the Department of Agriculture (DA) infrastructure budget, valued at PHP 190 billion, and urged the DA and Senate to publish the underlying documents. He said PHP 15 billion of the inserted farm-to-market road (FMR) and irrigation projects lacked publicly posted project attachments. He identified 355 entirely new FMR projects worth nearly PHP 6 billion that were absent from the National Expenditure Program (NEP) and the DA proposal, and 319 new irrigation projects worth PHP 9.4 billion. Abante said 5,500 volunteer software developers had mapped the 18,000 projects in the House bill. He said the insertions lacked disclosures comparable to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), including geotagged photos, programs of work, unit-price analyses, local-government implementability certificates, feasibility studies and local development council approvals. He linked the required documentation to slower FMR budget utilization and requested raw GeoJSON files so volunteers could verify project coordinates.

Abante cited location and cost anomalies as reasons for review, not as proof of wrongdoing. Examples included a PHP 23 million road listed for Nueva Ecija but mapped at sea near Benham Rice, PHP 55 million roads intended for Cebu and Quezon with coordinates near Celebesi, by Indonesia, and at sea near Brunei. He cited PHP 15,000 per meter (PHP 15 million per kilometer) as the market price for roads, while some coordinate entries implied PHP 19 million or PHP 6 million per meter; he also found entries at PHP 33,000 and PHP 20,000 per meter. For solar-pump irrigation, he questioned rounded project budgets of PHP 50 million, PHP 100 million and PHP 200 million. He cited PHP 7,000 as a market price for a 600-to-700-watt panel, compared with PHP 30,000 to PHP 40,000 in National Irrigation Administration (NIA) bidding documents, and asked whether PHP 1 million per lot for AI monitoring should be centralized. Abante said the findings were not conclusive of corruption and that more documents were needed to determine whether the flagged coordinates and costs were errors or required further action.

[03:19:24 · asr-003865](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003865) · [03:19:35 · asr-003866](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003866) · [03:21:20 · asr-003882](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003882) · [03:21:24 · asr-003883](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003883) · [03:21:33 · asr-003885](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003885) · [03:21:41 · asr-003886](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003886) · [03:21:58 · asr-003890](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003890) · [03:23:12 · asr-003905](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003905) · [03:23:24 · asr-003908](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003908) · [03:23:29 · asr-003909](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003909) · [03:23:43 · asr-003911](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003911) · [03:23:54 · asr-003913](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003913) · [03:24:24 · asr-003917](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003917) · [03:24:54 · asr-003923](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003923) · [03:25:09 · asr-003926](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003926) · [03:25:22 · asr-003929](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003929) · [03:25:40 · asr-003932](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003932) · [03:25:47 · asr-003934](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003934) · [03:25:53 · asr-003935](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003935) · [03:25:04 · asr-003925](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003925)

### Gatchalian's connected FMR review request

Senator Sherwin "Win" T. Gatchalian connected Abante's concerns to the DA's FMR list, saying the department was already cleaning it but the committee had found 29 red-flagged projects worth PHP 660 million against a total FMR budget of PHP 16 billion. He described repeated project names with different coordinates, different names with matching coordinates, and projects recurring at the same coordinates in both the 2026 and 2027 lists; some coordinates appeared at Benham Rise or outside the Philippines. He said the comparison covered 2026 and 2027 only. Gatchalian said the patterns could reflect data-entry errors, offered to share the list with the DA, and said the committee would review the House's PHP 6 billion insertion with civil society. He asked the DA to conduct its own review and coordinate the projects with its master plan.

[03:30:13 · asr-003989](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003989) · [03:30:21 · asr-003990](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003990) · [03:30:28 · asr-003991](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003991) · [03:30:42 · asr-003992](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003992) · [03:31:03 · asr-003998](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003998) · [03:31:10 · asr-004000](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004000) · [03:31:47 · asr-004010](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004010) · [03:31:52 · asr-004013](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004013) · [03:32:07 · asr-004017](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004017) · [03:32:12 · asr-004018](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004018) · [03:32:30 · asr-004021](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004021) · [03:32:35 · asr-004022](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004022) · [03:31:29 · asr-004007](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004007) · [03:31:39 · asr-004008](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004008) · [03:31:57 · asr-004014](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004014)

### Family farming and farmer organization funding

CODE-NGO Project Coordinator Timothy Salomon, speaking for the People's Budget Coalition and Task Force Mapalad National Peasant Federation, urged proper financing of the Philippine Action Plan for Family Farming, signed in 2019. He asked the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) to submit the budget needed to support the plan, community organizing and farmers' ability to influence and access agricultural services.

[03:38:14 · asr-004127](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004127) · [03:38:44 · asr-004137](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004137) · [03:38:53 · asr-004139](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004139) · [03:38:57 · asr-004140](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004140)

### Livestock funding request for 2027

Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. put the livestock budget issue on the record: the Department formally asked to defer ₱20 billion in livestock funds until 2028, when it expected to be ready to implement the livestock restructuring, and restore its regular 2027 budget without that amount. Laurel said the restructuring timetable, including staffing and approvals, meant the funds could not be used until November 2027. Pangilinan said the request would be noted; no budget adjustment was approved in this exchange.

[03:42:46 · asr-004183](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004183) · [03:43:06 · asr-004186](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004186) · [03:43:16 · asr-004187](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004187) · [03:43:22 · asr-004188](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004188) · [04:23:09 · asr-004891](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004891) · [04:23:15 · asr-004892](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004892)

### Biosafety, irrigation and cold-storage implementation

Pangilinan asked about implementation of the Department of Agriculture’s ₱1 billion biosafety appropriation restored the prior year. Laurel said three sites were ready for bidding, pending release of the requested Special Allotment Release Order (SARO). For the ₱1.64 billion 2025 solar-powered irrigation allocation, Laurel said the SARO had been reissued only a few months earlier and bidding was underway.

Pangilinan cited a ₱1.5 billion 2025 cold-storage allocation and a Commission on Audit finding of 1.4% utilization. Laurel said technical design had delayed construction, but work was now progressing; he cited a completed ₱500 million Camarines Sur mega cold-storage facility. He described the modular design as off-grid solar with batteries and wind turbines. Asked whether communities could operate and maintain the facilities, Laurel said training was included, the equipment carried a three-year warranty, and local extension workers should support beneficiaries. He said REACH extension workers could resolve many Department problems, including farmer registration; Pangilinan urged passage of the pending extension measures.

[03:44:02 · asr-004193](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004193) · [03:44:24 · asr-004194](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004194) · [03:44:40 · asr-004197](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004197) · [03:44:50 · asr-004198](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004198) · [03:45:06 · asr-004200](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004200) · [03:45:21 · asr-004203](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004203) · [03:46:10 · asr-004206](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004206) · [03:46:40 · asr-004209](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004209) · [03:47:15 · asr-004214](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004214) · [03:47:27 · asr-004218](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004218) · [03:48:46 · asr-004257](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004257) · [03:50:00 · asr-004294](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004294) · [03:50:14 · asr-004301](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004301)

### High-value crops and SagipSaka releases

Pangilinan asked whether disbursement for high-value crops had improved from the 59.3% rate he cited. He also cited a ₱665 million balance. Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero reported obligations had risen to 73%, with targets of 80% by October, 90% by November and 94% by December. Pangilinan recalled an additional ₱440 million in the previous budget for coffee and cacao and asked about release delays tied to documentation. Natividad-Caballero said ₱200 million for agricultural extension worker incentives was the largest component and that the Department had supplied a release mechanism addressing Commission on Audit requirements. She expected this to raise the obligation rate to 80%. Pangilinan expressed support for a further ₱300 million request, without treating it as approved, and asked for a documentation update before plenary.

On the separate ₱500 million SagipSaka allocation, Assistant Secretary Joycel R. Panlilio said additional documents had been completed and were with the Department’s budget office for final review before submission to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Pangilinan asked for a release update before November plenary.

[03:57:56 · asr-004524](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004524) · [03:57:57 · asr-004525](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004525) · [03:58:12 · asr-004531](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004531) · [03:58:16 · asr-004533](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004533) · [03:58:20 · asr-004536](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004536) · [03:58:24 · asr-004538](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004538) · [03:58:31 · asr-004542](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004542) · [03:58:57 · asr-004555](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004555) · [03:59:26 · asr-004569](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004569) · [03:59:39 · asr-004575](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004575) · [04:00:13 · asr-004588](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004588) · [04:00:38 · asr-004589](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004589) · [04:00:43 · asr-004590](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004590) · [04:01:02 · asr-004594](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004594) · [03:59:41 · asr-004576](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004576) · [03:58:04 · asr-004528](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004528)

### Farm-to-market road backlog and proposed PPP

Pangilinan said ₱33 billion had been allocated for farm-to-market roads and Laurel reported ₱23 billion released in October. Pangilinan said the remaining ₱9.6 billion was targeted for submission to the DBM by November. They discussed a geotagged count showing a 52,000-kilometer backlog and Laurel estimated that completing it at current prices would cost ₱780 billion. Using an annual funding illustration of ₱16 billion, Laurel estimated completion would take 49 years.

Laurel first mentioned an ₱8 billion public-private partnership (PPP) proposal, then corrected the amount to ₱80 billion for 2027, on top of the ₱33 billion allocation. Pangilinan confirmed the distinction and urged a large-scale PPP approach to address the backlog; the proposal was a plan, not an approved appropriation. Delivery would involve DA, Department of Public Works and Highways and local-government projects under DA coordination, alongside the separately proposed PPP.

[04:08:58 · asr-004707](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004707) · [04:09:05 · asr-004708](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004708) · [04:09:56 · asr-004720](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004720) · [04:11:16 · asr-004737](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004737) · [04:11:44 · asr-004743](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004743) · [04:11:50 · asr-004745](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004745) · [04:12:18 · asr-004758](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004758) · [04:14:19 · asr-004775](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004775) · [04:14:34 · asr-004777](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004777) · [04:13:51 · asr-004772](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004772) · [04:14:04 · asr-004773](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004773) · [04:14:42 · asr-004777-split-3](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004777-split-3) · [04:10:06 · asr-004721](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004721) · [04:10:07 · asr-004722](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004722)

### Post-harvest spending across DA programs

Senator Imee R. Marcos asked where the Department of Agriculture (DA) budget funds post-harvest equipment, including the 380 mechanical dryers previously mentioned, noting that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) line she cited was only PHP 516 million. Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. put DA post-harvest spending at PHP 4.5 billion, spread across banner programs such as the National Rice Program, coconut and corn programs. He agreed to provide the committee a program and activity breakdown, while acknowledging that the DA still needs more post-harvest facilities.

[04:53:56 · asr-005106](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005106) · [04:54:26 · asr-005111](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005111) · [04:54:43 · asr-005114](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005114) · [04:55:03 · asr-005120](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005120) · [04:55:14 · asr-005123](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005123) · [04:55:41 · asr-005128](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005128) · [04:55:46 · asr-005129](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005129)

### DA reductions and restoration requests: RISE, FMR, crop insurance and PRDP

In the context of the proposed 2027 DA reductions and the expected El Niño, Marcos asked which programs faced the largest cuts. Laurel identified a major reduction in the rice banner program and requested an additional PHP 8 billion. He also cited a PHP 17 billion reduction in farm-to-market roads. On the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), he identified PHP 1 billion in obligation authority and confirmed that its counterpart funding had been reduced by PHP 700 million. He described PRDP as successful and oversubscribed, said it was due to end in 2028, and said the DA was asking the World Bank for an extension. Laurel also said crop-insurance funding had been cut substantially and remained necessary, as El Niño approached.

[05:04:37 · asr-005329](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005329) · [05:05:25 · asr-005352](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005352) · [05:05:29 · asr-005354](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005354) · [05:05:52 · asr-005363](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005363) · [05:06:45 · asr-005391](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005391) · [05:06:53 · asr-005394](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005394) · [05:07:09 · asr-005402](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005402) · [05:07:28 · asr-005409](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005409) · [05:07:37 · asr-005413](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005413) · [05:06:26 · asr-005381](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005381) · [05:06:29 · asr-005383](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005383)

### NMIS transfer and proposed livestock-budget restructuring

Marcos asked whether the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) operating-budget cut and zero capital outlay would weaken meat-safety inspection. She described a 78.5% reduction and said the deducted allocation had been lodged temporarily under the DA Office of the Secretary and the animal-industry budget. Laurel confirmed her reading. He said the DA could not readily use the PHP 20 billion animal-industry fund because of its prerequisites and requested restructuring the livestock budget back into regular programs. He contrasted a PHP 24 billion wish list with PHP 15 billion needed after restructuring, which he said would leave fiscal space for other DA programs. Asked how the NMIS allocation could sustain its functions, Laurel said it needed roughly its prior-year budget plus 10%, but was unsure whether the money would sit under the animal-industry bureau or NMIS; he said the structure would return to the 2026 arrangement and promised a short explanation for the committee.

[05:23:43 · asr-005819](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005819) · [05:23:48 · asr-005822](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005822) · [05:23:52 · asr-005823](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005823) · [05:23:55 · asr-005825](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005825) · [05:24:06 · asr-005831](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005831) · [05:24:13 · asr-005835](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005835) · [05:24:21 · asr-005839](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005839) · [05:24:42 · asr-005849](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005849) · [05:24:49 · asr-005852](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005852) · [05:25:16 · asr-005867](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005867) · [05:25:20 · asr-005869](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005869) · [05:25:32 · asr-005876](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005876) · [05:25:52 · asr-005886](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005886) · [05:25:55 · asr-005888](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005888)

### PCC herd-build-up request and ranked livestock proposal

Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan asked Laurel to prioritize the DA's livestock requests, noting the PHP 24 billion wish list. Laurel said he had ranked items from 1 to 10 and would submit the list within the hour. Marcos then asked how dairy production would expand without the proposed PHP 159 million for a fifth year of Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) herd build-up, which schools rely on for milk supply. Laurel said the request would be included in a restructured livestock submission within the available fiscal space. He said the DA had submitted materials to Congress, had been late there, but believed the Senate timetable remained workable; the House and DBM were aware and coordination was needed.

[05:26:21 · asr-005901](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005901) · [05:26:23 · asr-005902](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005902) · [05:26:54 · asr-005917](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005917) · [05:26:57 · asr-005919](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005919) · [05:27:05 · asr-005923](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005923) · [05:27:48 · asr-005943](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005943) · [05:27:58 · asr-005949](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005949) · [05:28:04 · asr-005952](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005952) · [05:28:24 · asr-005959](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005959) · [05:28:29 · asr-005962](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005962) · [05:28:35 · asr-005965](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005965)

### DA budget deemed submitted subject to requested documents

At the close, Pangilinan directed the DA to meet Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submission requirements and said the DA Office of the Secretary budget, together with attached agencies and corporations, was deemed submitted for plenary consideration subject to the documents requested by committee members. This was a procedural referral for plenary consideration, not approval of an appropriation.

[06:02:18 · asr-006771](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006771) · [06:02:30 · asr-006774](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006774) · [06:02:09 · asr-006769](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006769) · [06:02:26 · asr-006773](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006773)

## Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources budget

### BFAR fuel assistance and beneficiaries

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) reported 11,894 fisherfolk recipients of fuel assistance in 2025 against a target of 23,504. BFAR described a ₱1 billion fuel-assistance allocation and expected 105,126 UPLIFT beneficiaries to receive support before the end of December 2026.

[02:03:54 · asr-002070](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002070) · [02:04:20 · asr-002073](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002073) · [02:04:28 · asr-002074](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002074) · [02:04:47 · asr-002076](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002076)

### FishCoRe utilization and BFAR catch-up

Marcos cited 2025 FishCoRe obligations of PHP 1.188 billion, or 36.9% of its PHP 3.2 billion allotment, and said disbursement was lower, asking when fishing communities would receive the infrastructure and livelihood benefits. BFAR Director Elizer S. Salilig attributed delays during the first transition to World Bank requirements. He said the requirements had been addressed and obligations had reached nearly 55% by June, including the IMPRA project, which he described as nearly complete against its PHP 647 million funding. He projected 85-90% obligation by the end of December 2026 and offered to submit updated figures for the committee.

[05:08:16 · asr-005437](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005437) · [05:08:19 · asr-005438](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005438) · [05:08:22 · asr-005440](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005440) · [05:08:47 · asr-005451](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005451) · [05:08:59 · asr-005457](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005457) · [05:09:20 · asr-005467](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005467) · [05:09:29 · asr-005472](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005472) · [05:09:38 · asr-005476](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005476) · [05:10:11 · asr-005492](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005492) · [05:10:16 · asr-005495](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005495)

## Sugar Regulatory Administration budget

### Sugar Regulatory Administration funding and RSSI assistance

Ejercito said the FY2027 NEP provided ₱1 billion to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and asked about funding for the agency’s programs. SRA Administrator Pablo Luis S. Azcona said the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) allocation had been ₱1 billion in each of the last three years and again that year; nearly ₱500 million was carried over unutilized, while spending had exceeded ₱1 billion as older balances were used. Azcona said SRA could use ₱2 billion if provided. On the RSSI pest-control effort, he said it was outside existing SIDA funding. For its first year in Negros, he cited approximately ₱188 million from SRA’s corporate budget and ₱28 million from SIDA, but stated the total as ₱209 million; the stated components and total do not reconcile. He also described roughly ₱400-something million in assistance through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), at ₱10,000 per farmer or farm worker.

[02:11:41 · asr-002153](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002153) · [02:12:47 · asr-002175](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002175) · [02:12:57 · asr-002177](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002177) · [02:13:02 · asr-002178](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002178) · [02:15:34 · asr-002208](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002208) · [02:15:47 · asr-002210](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002210) · [02:15:52 · asr-002211](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002211) · [02:16:11 · asr-002216](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002216) · [02:11:47 · asr-002154](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002154) · [02:12:37 · asr-002171](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002171) · [02:12:39 · asr-002172](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002172) · [02:16:20 · asr-002217](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002217)

### Sugar industry, RSSI response and SRA funding request

Zubiri backed support for the sugar industry and described RSSI as a pest damaging cane leaves and increasing farmers’ pesticide costs. He noted that 90% of sugar farmers were small farmers and asked Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Pablo Luis S. Azcona what further help the agency needed. Azcona said the pest had spread across Luzon and Negros and reached Bukidnon after arriving in Davao. The DA had extended funds to the SRA; the SRA was using costly pesticides while encouraging local governments, farmer groups and other organizations to establish biocontrol laboratories. The SRA would provide tested fungi for those labs and sought additional funding for the control program and El Niño mitigation.

Senator Imee R. Marcos supported additional help, recalling that the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) initially appropriated ₱2 billion, later reduced to ₱500 million after the agency struggled to spend the funds beyond farm-to-market roads. Marcos said there was room to increase support. Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan noted that the SRA had not yet submitted its additional funding request. Azcona agreed to submit it before the committee’s planned Friday subcommittee report. The request was pending; no additional appropriation was approved in this exchange.

[02:55:16 · asr-003294](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003294) · [02:55:45 · asr-003303](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003303) · [02:56:46 · asr-003316](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003316) · [02:57:56 · asr-003336](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003336) · [02:58:01 · asr-003337](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003337) · [02:58:26 · asr-003342](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003342) · [02:58:40 · asr-003344](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003344) · [02:59:03 · asr-003350](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003350) · [02:59:39 · asr-003362](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003362) · [02:59:47 · asr-003364](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003364) · [03:00:12 · asr-003376](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003376) · [03:00:16 · asr-003378](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003378) · [03:00:50 · asr-003395](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003395) · [03:00:55 · asr-003398](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003398) · [03:01:01 · asr-003402](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003402) · [03:00:13 · asr-003377](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003377)

## Philippine Carabao Center budget

### Carabao milk-feeding program and livestock allocation

Pangilinan asked about the Philippine Carabao Center’s (PCC) school milk-feeding delivery, citing a target of 8 million milk packs against 2.8 million delivered, with six of 93 school divisions completing delivery and 45 yet to award contracts. PCC Executive Director Liza G. Batad reported obligations had risen to about 80% as of September and said implementation would continue through April, depending on school-division schedules.

Batad said the PCC allocation had fallen from ₱1.12 billion to ₱449 million, which she said would affect carabao-raising families and cooperatives. Laurel linked the reduction to the livestock funds the Department could not use until its restructuring was completed, and reiterated the formal request to forego that amount and restore the regular 2027 budget. Pangilinan said the restoration request would be noted.

[04:18:57 · asr-004829](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004829) · [04:19:25 · asr-004834](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004834) · [04:19:41 · asr-004835](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004835) · [04:19:47 · asr-004836](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004836) · [04:20:23 · asr-004846](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004846) · [04:21:23 · asr-004863](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004863) · [04:21:41 · asr-004867](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004867) · [04:21:53 · asr-004868](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004868)

## National Tobacco Administration budget

### Tobacco fund balance, NTA spending and farmer assistance

Marcos asked how much of the reported tobacco fund balance was actually available and legally usable for farmer assistance. She cited a Treasury-reported balance of PHP 116 billion at the end of 2025, projected collections of PHP 13 billion in 2027 and proposed tobacco-fund expenditure of PHP 699 million. She also questioned the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) budget, citing PHP 143 million for personnel services and an estimated PHP 200 million for farmer assistance, and asked why its net increase went to personnel rather than direct assistance. NTA Administrator and Chief Executive Officer Belinda Sarmiento-Sanchez said the increase funded the Compensation and Position Classification System; she confirmed it was mandated and said NTA continued to propose additional support from excise-tax revenue. She said the agency itself could not access the tobacco fund and that it was with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Laurel said he had no insight into the balance, promised a deep dive with his operations undersecretary, and directed his chief of staff to provide a report and proposals before plenary. Marcos also questioned why tobacco production assistance was partly repayable at harvest and how recipients were selected. Sarmiento-Sanchez said priority went to contract-growing farmers receiving inputs and technology, and promised a list. Marcos asked the DA to clarify with the Department of Finance why excise-tax shares appeared as local-government income despite irregular or unreleased transfers; the accounting and legally usable cash therefore remained unresolved in this exchange.

[04:56:01 · asr-005132](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005132) · [04:56:19 · asr-005134](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005134) · [04:56:13 · asr-005133](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005133) · [04:56:44 · asr-005141](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005141) · [04:56:54 · asr-005143](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005143) · [04:58:42 · asr-005171](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005171) · [04:59:08 · asr-005176](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005176) · [04:59:29 · asr-005184](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005184) · [05:00:44 · asr-005220](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005220) · [05:01:22 · asr-005237](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005237) · [05:02:10 · asr-005261](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005261) · [05:02:13 · asr-005262](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005262) · [05:02:21 · asr-005266](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005266) · [05:02:31 · asr-005271](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005271) · [05:02:55 · asr-005283](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005283) · [05:03:07 · asr-005289](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005289) · [05:04:06 · asr-005319](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005319) · [05:04:09 · asr-005320](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005320) · [04:56:56 · asr-005144](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005144) · [05:01:57 · asr-005254](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005254)

## Agricultural Credit Policy Council budget

### ACPC reconciliation of undisbursed lending funds

Marcos asked about a Commission on Audit finding of PHP 518 million in undisbursed credit funds not returned by lending conduits. Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) Executive Director Rallen O. Verdadero said the finding had been reconciled and that the only unreturned, undisbursed amount for 2025 was PHP 50 million, held by one conduit, Guagua Rural Bank; ACPC had sent it a demand letter. He clarified that PHP 90 million had been released to Guagua for a palay-yield program, PHP 40 million had reached end borrowers, and PHP 50 million remained undisbursed and was to be returned. He agreed to submit documentation to clarify the reconciliation.

[05:13:46 · asr-005546](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005546) · [05:14:24 · asr-005555](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005555) · [05:14:34 · asr-005557](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005557) · [05:14:48 · asr-005563](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005563) · [05:15:05 · asr-005573](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005573) · [05:15:43 · asr-005593](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005593) · [05:15:46 · asr-005594](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005594) · [05:15:49 · asr-005595](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005595) · [05:16:02 · asr-005602](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005602)

### Cooperative credit and government markets

Pangilinan asked whether ACPC could provide credit to farmer cooperatives selling through government markets, including a Quezon City government purchase of about PHP 230 million in rice. Verdadero said ACPC's Agri-Negosyo Loan Program lends working capital of up to PHP 25 million to cooperatives, micro and small enterprises, and confirmed that a government purchase contract could support a cooperative's loan application. Pangilinan cited the PIDIG Multipurpose Cooperative's PHP 52 million in sales to the Quezon City government and asked for a list of borrowers whose buyers included government; Verdadero agreed to submit one. Marcos asked about ACPC's recognition of cooperatives versus Department of Agriculture accreditation; Verdadero said ACPC requires cooperatives registered with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Laurel said the DA's former cooperative bureau no longer existed and its current office only assists agricultural cooperatives; management and approvals remain with CDA.

[05:16:15 · asr-005608](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005608) · [05:16:59 · asr-005631](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005631) · [05:17:26 · asr-005644](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005644) · [05:17:37 · asr-005650](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005650) · [05:17:40 · asr-005652](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005652) · [05:18:25 · asr-005663](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005663) · [05:18:42 · asr-005671](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005671) · [05:18:59 · asr-005680](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005680) · [05:19:22 · asr-005691](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005691) · [05:19:32 · asr-005696](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005696) · [05:20:12 · asr-005716](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005716) · [05:20:20 · asr-005720](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005720) · [05:20:34 · asr-005727](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005727) · [05:17:03 · asr-005632](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005632) · [05:18:29 · asr-005664](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005664)

## Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority budget

### FPA inspection capacity and DA input requests

Marcos asked whether enforcement against substandard farm inputs could be sustained under the proposed cuts. She cited reductions of 36.5% in the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) proposed budget, 30.4% in maintenance and other operating expenses and 99.2% in capital outlay. Laurel said the reductions affected a little of everything, including purchasing, inspection, laboratory testing and enforcement. Marcos recalled the DA had previously requested almost PHP 9 billion for pesticides, fertilizer and soil enrichment. Laurel said the DA could use the same funding for cheaper soil ameliorants, but agreed these did not perform the same function as fertilizer; he said the DA remained short and requested an additional PHP 8 billion as input prices had risen.

[05:21:03 · asr-005742](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005742) · [05:21:16 · asr-005748](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005748) · [05:21:22 · asr-005751](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005751) · [05:21:25 · asr-005753](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005753) · [05:21:39 · asr-005760](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005760) · [05:21:52 · asr-005764](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005764) · [05:22:17 · asr-005776](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005776) · [05:22:35 · asr-005784](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005784) · [05:22:42 · asr-005789](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005789) · [05:22:51 · asr-005793](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005793) · [05:23:18 · asr-005806](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005806) · [05:23:24 · asr-005809](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005809)

## Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization budget

### Coconut shared-processing facilities and utilization

Marcos questioned the low utilization of the coconut shared-processing-facility program, citing 9.29% utilization against PHP 2 billion for 2023-2025 and saying only 5 of 92 facilities targeted for 2025 were established and operating. Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) Director IV Dionisio G. Alvindia, Ph.D., explained that the Department of Public Works and Highways had implemented warehouse construction in 2022-2024. He said 29 facilities had been undertaken and 16 completed, but his subsequent count of unfinished sites was unclear; he also said the completed structures lacked building permits, so PhilMech could not install equipment. From 2025, construction moved to PhilMech, which had 39 facilities under construction. He identified 16 functioning warehouses as the completed DPWH sites and said one PhilMech-built facility had since been inaugurated. Alvindia acknowledged the utilization problem and promised a full catch-up plan and locations for the projects.

[05:29:12 · asr-005983](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005983) · [05:29:16 · asr-005985](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005985) · [05:28:57 · asr-005976](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005976) · [05:29:02 · asr-005978](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005978) · [05:29:13 · asr-005984](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005984) · [05:29:39 · asr-005997](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005997) · [05:30:00 · asr-006007](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006007) · [05:30:13 · asr-006008](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006008) · [05:30:20 · asr-006009](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006009) · [05:30:32 · asr-006011](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006011) · [05:30:49 · asr-006014](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006014) · [05:31:07 · asr-006020](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006020) · [05:31:38 · asr-006035](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006035) · [05:31:47 · asr-006037](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006037) · [05:31:52 · asr-006038](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006038) · [05:32:03 · asr-006040](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006040)

## Department of Agriculture: opening statement

### Opening statement: productivity, resilience and accountability

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Department of Agriculture (DA) sought support for its proposed FY 2027 budget as farmers and fishers faced El Niño, climate risks, rising fuel and fertilizer costs, and geopolitical pressures. He said the department would pursue productivity through seeds, inputs and technology; expand farm-to-market roads, cold-chain systems and post-harvest facilities; strengthen producer-market links; and invest in climate resilience, disaster preparedness and biosecurity. These measures, he said, should support viable farms, secure livelihoods and affordable food.

Laurel said public investment should be accountable and reach small farmers, fishers and agrarian communities, with programs judged by results such as higher productivity and net incomes, lower post-harvest losses, and safe, affordable food. He asked the Senate to support the DA's proposed FY 2027 budget.

[00:22:20 · asr-000168](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000168) · [00:23:25 · asr-000176](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000176) · [00:24:17 · asr-000183](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000183)

## Department of Agriculture: sector context

### Agriculture's economic contribution and production bottlenecks

Undersecretary Asis G. Perez said agriculture and fisheries contributed 7.9% of the economy, down from 10.1% in 2020, and argued that the farm-gate share understates the value generated across processing, transport and sales. He cited 2023 poverty incidence of 27% among farmers and 27.4% among fishers, compared with 15.5% nationwide.

Perez identified fragmented landholdings, high input costs and low mechanization, post-harvest losses, and transport and market access as constraints. He said average farm size had fallen from 3.59 hectares to 0.82 hectares, and cited post-harvest losses of 14.5% for rice, 31.6% for onion and 26.5% for mango. He reported a 55,050-kilometer farm-to-market access gap and a 68,433-pallet cold-storage deficit. He said six of seven major fertilizer grades had higher August year-on-year prices, and that rising input costs coincided with falling farm-gate prices. In the June comparison, hogs fell 19%, red onion 69%, broiler 9%, chicken eggs 7% and tilapia 3%, while dry palay and bangus rose. He described agricultural exports as concentrated in a few commodities and said domestic production remained insufficient for rice, potato, onion, coffee, mango and garlic.

[00:27:20 · asr-000219](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000219) · [00:28:24 · asr-000229](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000229) · [00:31:15 · asr-000272](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000272) · [00:32:04 · asr-000278](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000278) · [00:32:38 · asr-000282](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000282) · [00:32:45 · asr-000283](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000283) · [00:33:43 · asr-000291](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000291) · [00:33:51 · asr-000292](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000292) · [00:33:55 · asr-000293](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000293) · [00:35:19 · asr-000310](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000310) · [00:35:25 · asr-000311](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000311) · [00:35:33 · asr-000313](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000313) · [00:35:34 · asr-000314](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000314) · [00:35:38 · asr-000315](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000315) · [00:35:40 · asr-000316](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000316) · [00:35:44 · asr-000317](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000317) · [00:38:11 · asr-000347](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000347) · [00:38:20 · asr-000348](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000348)

### DA priorities and intended results

Perez said the department's five result areas were higher productivity and yields, increased farmer income through lower costs and greater value, improved food security and nutrition, reduced import dependence through greater self-sufficiency, and lower poverty in agriculture and fisheries. He then yielded the financial presentation to Oliveros.

[00:40:57 · asr-000387](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000387) · [00:41:03 · asr-000388](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000388) · [00:41:12 · asr-000391](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000391) · [00:41:14 · asr-000392](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000392) · [00:41:18 · asr-000393](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000393) · [00:41:29 · asr-000395](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000395) · [00:41:37 · asr-000396](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000396)

## Chair's opening priorities

### Opening: El Niño risks and food production

Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan, chair of the Finance Subcommittee, opened the hearing on the proposed FY 2027 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies and corporations. He cited forecasts that a strong El Niño could continue through the first half of 2027 and reduce palay production by about 700,000 metric tons in the year's second half, enough, by the committee's calculation, to meet the annual rice needs of about 3.6 million people. He argued that water storage, irrigation and timely assistance for farmers and fishers should be central to the budget.

Pangilinan reported ₱6.87 billion in drought losses as of September 26 and said that, as of October 6, 2.53 million of 11.2 million target beneficiaries had received assistance. He asked the Executive to consider declaring a national state of calamity, citing reported damage across five regions, to bring additional support and funding. He also identified underused FY 2026 funds, agricultural smuggling, effects of Middle East conflict and tariffs on pork imports, farm-to-market road delays, and delayed food-hub implementation as issues for the hearing. The chair then invited Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to present the department's budget.

[00:09:43 · asr-000047](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000047) · [00:12:34 · asr-000072](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000072) · [00:12:51 · asr-000075](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000075) · [00:14:06 · asr-000084](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000084) · [00:14:34 · asr-000089](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000089)

## Senator Erwin T. Tulfo

### Agricultural smuggling accountability

Tulfo asked whether the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Customs (BOC) and law-enforcement agencies had clarified their respective responsibilities for handling, safeguarding and disposing of or destroying seized smuggled agricultural products, and whether a clear chain of custody and accountability was in place. He raised this as a question for Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.’s response.

[00:17:09 · asr-000118](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000118)

### Small fishers and municipal waters

Citing a 2023 Malabon Regional Trial Court decision involving Mercedar Fishing Corporation and commercial vessels entering municipal waters within 15 kilometers, Tulfo said small fishers in MIMAROPA reported dwindling catches while commercial operators fished closer to shore. He asked what the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) was doing to address procedural lapses and protect small fishers’ livelihoods.

[00:17:28 · asr-000121](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000121) · [00:18:28 · asr-000131](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000131)

### Rice production and farmer conditions

Tulfo questioned why the Philippines remained a major rice importer despite having farmland, farmers, technology and experts, and asked the DA for a concrete plan to raise local production and reduce import dependence. He also cited farmers’ complaints about high fertilizer costs and low palay farmgate prices, while middlemen and traders added large margins before food reached consumers. He asked what the agency would do to lower production costs and ensure fair pricing across the supply chain.

[00:19:07 · asr-000140](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000140) · [00:19:27 · asr-000143](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000143) · [00:20:02 · asr-000147](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000147)

### El Niño preparedness and accountability for results

With severe El Niño conditions anticipated the following year, Tulfo asked whether irrigation and water plans, drought-resistant crops and seeds, and other farmer support were ready to prevent drought from causing food shortages. He urged the DA not to use budget constraints as a recurring explanation for unmet duties, and said the public should be able to see where agricultural funds went and what results they produced. He challenged Secretary Laurel to show concrete results and accountability, beyond programs, promises and utilization, obligation or disbursement rates.

[00:20:29 · asr-000152](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000152) · [00:21:11 · asr-000159](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000159)

### Agricultural land protection and fertilizer imports

Senator Erwin T. Tulfo asked whether passage of the National Land Use Act could help stop the loss of agricultural land to factories, subdivisions and cemeteries. Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said passage of the act was among the Department of Agriculture's most important priorities.

Tulfo also asked whether fertilizer was fully imported and whether any was produced locally. Laurel estimated that maybe 90-plus percent of inorganic fertilizer components were imported; what was called local manufacturing was only the mixing of imported raw materials.

[01:17:01 · asr-001079](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001079) · [01:17:14 · asr-001085](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001085) · [01:17:40 · asr-001097](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001097) · [01:17:53 · asr-001103](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001103)

### Mercedar case and municipal fishing waters

Tulfo asked the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) what it was doing to protect small-scale fishers in municipal waters from commercial vessels after the Mercedar Fishing Corporation case, and asked for the status of BFAR's motion for reconsideration. Laurel referred the legal details to BFAR Assistant Director for Administrative and Other Support Services Zaldy P. Perez, who confirmed that BFAR had filed a motion for reconsideration. Perez recounted that the Regional Trial Court (RTC) had declared the challenged statutory and regulatory provisions unconstitutional as applied to Mercedar, barred their enforcement against the company and allowed it to operate without observing the 15-kilometer municipal-water restriction subject to a specified depth condition. The Republic, through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), sought Supreme Court review; the Supreme Court First Division denied the petition in August 2024, citing late filing and failure to establish reversible error. The OSG later sought reconsideration, and in July 2025 the Supreme Court consolidated the cases and transferred them to the First Division. Perez said the matter remained pending before the Court.

Tulfo pressed BFAR on why its challenge had failed and who was responsible for the procedural lapse. Perez said BFAR had a legal division handling cases and, with qualification, explained that two RTC dispositions had caused confusion: BFAR said it filed on time, but the motion addressed to one disposition was not considered. He requested BFAR's chief legal officer to clarify. Pangilinan then recounted that the OSG had sought more time to respond, but the RTC proceeded without its response, ruled against municipal-water protections, and rejected a reconsideration motion. BFAR Legal Division Chief Atty. Roberto M. Buazon said the OSG made an oral request for an extension and later filed a written extension motion, but the judge issued an order of default; Buazon acknowledged procedural irregularities and said BFAR challenged the error in a motion for reconsideration. He said that motion remained pending in the Supreme Court, with a motion to refer the constitutional question to the Court en banc. At Tulfo's request, Buazon agreed to provide the name of the retired RTC Malabon judge, whom Pangilinan identified on the record as Judge Zaldi Docena. Tulfo reserved a second round of questions to give other senators and the Senate President time to speak.

[01:18:38 · asr-001127](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001127) · [01:19:13 · asr-001145](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001145) · [01:22:34 · asr-001246](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001246) · [01:24:29 · asr-001299](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001299) · [01:27:38 · asr-001394-split-2](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001394-split-2) · [01:28:27 · asr-001420](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001420) · [01:29:23 · asr-001448](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001448)

## Senator Imee R. Marcos

### Rice import authority and permits

On rice imports, Marcos asked who approved permits and clearances; Laurel confirmed these went through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). Asked which government entities could import rice, Laurel first said none, then clarified that the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) and Food Terminal, Inc. (FTI) could be allowed. He confirmed FTI was a government-owned or controlled corporation (GOCC) and agreed with Marcos's understanding that the DA could designate an entity other than the NFA to import under government-to-government contracts.

[01:02:46 · asr-000660](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000660) · [01:02:54 · asr-000665](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000665) · [01:03:38 · asr-000686](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000686) · [01:04:16 · asr-000705](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000705)

### Planters Products' status, control and conflicts of interest

Marcos questioned the status of Planters Products, Inc. (PPI), noting that it described itself as private while the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) continued to list PPI and Planters Foundation, Inc. (PFI) as GOCCs. Laurel said that, in the DA's view, PPI was not a GOCC and described it as a unique entity; he said he was an ex-officio chair of PFI, not PPI. Marcos said PFI held 80% of PPI shares in trust, while Laurel replied that it held 79%; Marcos later cited a 79.9% holding. She raised concerns that PFI and government officials controlled PPI's board, that government officials nominated directors, and that the Secretary of Agriculture's role could create conflicts or impair impartial regulation. Laurel disputed that he nominated the full board, said PPI had been created for farmers and the government acted as trustee, and described PPI as a private entity under a Supreme Court decision. He said the department did not run PPI day to day and suggested legislation could remove the Secretary's ex-officio position. Marcos said the company's status remained unclear given the GOCC listing and questioned the legal and conflict-of-interest implications either way; Laurel said he was not a lawyer and relied on his understanding of the Court's decision. Marcos said she was not asking for an immediate legal conclusion.

Marcos then asked who owned PPI's shares held in trust and why they had not been distributed to their intended farmer owners. Laurel said the DA was actively trying to identify the beneficial or recorded owners, noting that many may have died since the company's creation. He could not speak for their heirs. Marcos said the shares had remained undistributed for 52 years and requested PPI's rice-importation data for the prior 10 years before plenary. Laurel agreed to ask BPI to submit the list.

[01:05:24 · asr-000739](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000739) · [01:05:27 · asr-000741](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000741) · [01:07:25 · asr-000800](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000800) · [01:13:29 · asr-000982](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-000982) · [01:14:27 · asr-001010](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001010) · [01:15:21 · asr-001034](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001034) · [01:15:34 · asr-001039](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001039)

### Onion and garlic enforcement and import status

Following up on the onion discussion, Marcos asked Laurel about reports concerning Lea Cruz and onion-and-garlic trading after a PHP 1.76 billion administrative fine and calls for criminal charges. Laurel said he did not know Cruz personally and had only heard about the case in the news. He said there had been no red-onion imports that year and hoped there would be few or none the next year; limited white-onion imports had just begun and were distributed equally among applicants. He said he would investigate Marcos's information and try to pursue the matter with the relevant officials.

[04:51:05 · asr-005073](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005073) · [04:51:18 · asr-005076](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005076) · [04:51:46 · asr-005083](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005083) · [04:51:53 · asr-005084](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005084) · [04:52:19 · asr-005089](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005089) · [04:52:32 · asr-005092](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005092) · [04:52:56 · asr-005096](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005096) · [04:53:06 · asr-005098](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005098) · [04:53:16 · asr-005099](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005099)

### NFRDI performance measure

Marcos asked whether the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) report of 123.98% accomplishment measured fish production, cost or coastal income. Executive Director Maria Theresa M. Mutia clarified that the indicator was physical accomplishment: deliverables such as training, aquabusiness establishment and technician capacity-building, not fish production or fishers' income. Mutia said she believed the figure should be 100%, not 123.98%, and would double-check the report. She described NFRDI's FishCoRe work as research and capacity-building, including training, consolidating stock-assessment data and assessing mariculture-park carrying capacity.

[05:10:28 · asr-005501](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005501) · [05:11:34 · asr-005517](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005517) · [05:11:40 · asr-005518](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005518) · [05:11:48 · asr-005520](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005520) · [05:12:03 · asr-005521](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005521) · [05:12:32 · asr-005527](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005527) · [05:12:52 · asr-005529](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005529) · [05:13:01 · asr-005531](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005531) · [05:13:22 · asr-005540](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005540)

## Senator Sherwin "Win" T. Gatchalian

### El Niño outlook, agricultural losses and exposed livelihoods

Senator Sherwin "Win" T. Gatchalian asked Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. for the Department of Agriculture (DA) forecast, contingency measures and budget response to El Niño. Gatchalian cited the DA slide as showing about PHP 6.8 billion in agricultural damage as of September 30. He relayed the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecast that El Niño could persist through mid-2027, while noting forecasts could change. Laurel said the peak had shifted from November 2026 to January through March, possibly April 2027.

Laurel initially said he did not have total figures with him. He later recalled almost PHP 16 billion in losses during the 2023-2024 El Niño and estimated losses in the coming severe event could reach PHP 20 billion. He said the prior event caused 828,000 metric tons in lost volume and nearly 280,000 hectares affected; he projected losses could reach one million tons and 350,000 hectares. Laurel separately estimated a minimum of 2.795 million (about 2.8 million) individual farmers and fishers could be affected, with a worst-case estimate of 4.6 million. Gatchalian compared that with a reported 6.7 million farmers and about 9.6 million people employed in farming and fisheries; Laurel corrected the employment figure to 10.4 million in RSVSA alone. For rice, Laurel estimated at least 700,000 tons could be lost and said a worst case could reach one million tons of palay. Adding the 163,000 tons already lost that year, he said the country would need an additional 863,000 tons of rice to ensure supply through El Niño, as well as strategic buffer stocks.

[01:29:49 · asr-001461](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001461) · [01:30:05 · asr-001469](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001469) · [01:30:06 · asr-001470](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001470) · [01:32:32 · asr-001541](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001541) · [01:36:05 · asr-001649](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001649) · [01:36:07 · asr-001650](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001650) · [01:36:14 · asr-001653](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001653) · [01:36:34 · asr-001663](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001663) · [01:36:36 · asr-001664](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001664) · [01:39:24 · asr-001719](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001719) · [01:39:35 · asr-001720](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001720) · [01:39:45 · asr-001722](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001722) · [01:41:11 · asr-001737](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001737) · [01:41:25 · asr-001740](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001740)

## Senator Joseph Victor "JV" G. Ejercito

### Water impounding and irrigation proposal

Ejercito urged investment in dams and water-retention facilities to reduce flooding and preserve water for dry-season irrigation. Laurel supported NIA dam, water-impounding and canal projects, describing substantial runoff reaching the sea and estimating its value at ₱500 billion annually.

[01:57:54 · asr-001977](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001977) · [01:55:38 · asr-001935](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001935) · [01:57:00 · asr-001962](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001962) · [01:58:17 · asr-001982](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-001982)

### West Philippine Sea fisheries support and assessment limits

Asked about support for fishers facing harassment in the West Philippine Sea, BFAR Assistant Director for Administrative and Other Support Services Zaldy P. Perez described vessel deployment, fishing-boat provision in Regions I, III and IV-B, and fuel subsidies subject to available funds. Asked about reported coral-reef damage, Perez said BFAR had no assessment yet and would need vessel access to assess the area.

[02:05:27 · asr-002080](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002080) · [02:06:09 · asr-002087](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002087) · [02:07:31 · asr-002102](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002102) · [02:07:42 · asr-002105](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002105)

### Sugar production, RSSI coverage and import timing

Azcona reported sugar production above 2 million tons in 2024–25, followed by about 1.85 million tons in 2025–26 amid El Niño and RSSI-related effects, and estimated current production at 1.6 million tons. He said RSSI was not covered by existing budget lines, including SIDA, and requested additional support. On imports, he said decisions are based on need and imports could occur during harvest if needed; he offered no guarantee of a harvest-season ban.

[02:14:00 · asr-002191](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002191) · [02:14:14 · asr-002193](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002193) · [02:14:28 · asr-002195](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002195) · [02:17:14 · asr-002236](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002236) · [02:17:25 · asr-002242](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002242) · [02:17:28 · asr-002243](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002243)

## Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri

### Hog prices, import policy and market enforcement

Zubiri described the difficult balance between protecting local producers and keeping food affordable: restricting imports can support farmers but leave consumers with higher prices, while heavy imports can depress local farmgate prices. Citing reports from backyard hog producers, he said farmgate prices per kilogram were ₱179 in 2022, ₱177 in 2023 and ₱185 in 2024, then ₱170 at the end of 2025 and ₱90–₱120 at the time of the hearing. He compared the latest prices with production costs of ₱130–₱140 per kilogram and asked what the DA was doing about large pork and poultry imports and the strain on small producers.

Secretary Laurel said the DA supported local pork producers but could not abruptly stop pork and chicken imports under existing international commitments. He asked Congress for authority to suspend imports temporarily, even where agreements applied. Zubiri raised technical smuggling and Customs enforcement; Senator Imee R. Marcos argued that a recent executive order had expanded pork import volumes and lowered tariffs. Laurel defended it as a safeguard for consumers if prices rose, and said it had not been triggered. He said the DA had repeatedly sought to restore the pork tariff to 40% and had filed a request that remained under consideration; when Marcos asked about the tariff schedule, Laurel said the DA’s position had since changed and wanted to move directly to the higher rate.

Laurel said an all-origin import stop for at least 60 days would prompt complaints and legal cases from trading partners. Separately, after a tariff review, he expected a route to quantitative restrictions for up to 200 days. His rough estimate was that by November 15 the DA might be able to suspend imports of kasim-pigue and belly for 60 days or stop issuing new sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs). This was a tentative forecast, not an action already in force.

Pangilinan and Laurel compared local and imported pork prices, and Pangilinan asked about monitoring imported frozen pork and cold-storage releases. Laurel quoted liempo at ₱380 and kasim-pigue at ₱330; imported liempo at ₱270–₱280 and imported kasim-pigue at about ₱240. Pangilinan cited an estimate that the local hog industry was losing ₱350 million a day. He and Marcos pressed the DA to coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on price monitoring and enforcement. Marcos cited the DA’s authority under the Price Act and the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act to inspect and penalize price gouging; Laurel agreed that the DA could act under those laws but said the current problem was falling farmgate prices, and reported that retail prices had also fallen by 9.55% for kasim and 7.05% for liempo. He said the DA inspected major markets daily with DTI, though it had paid less attention when prices were falling.

Pangilinan contrasted imported pork landed at about US$3 (about ₱180) with retail prices of ₱270-₱280 per kilogram, and questioned whether frozen stocks and cold-storage releases were being monitored. Laurel identified retailers and middlemen as the beneficiaries of the price gap.

[02:21:24 · asr-002360](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002360) · [02:21:28 · asr-002362](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002362) · [02:21:30 · asr-002363](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002363) · [02:21:33 · asr-002364](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002364) · [02:21:36 · asr-002366](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002366) · [02:21:39 · asr-002367](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002367) · [02:21:42 · asr-002369](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002369) · [02:21:45 · asr-002370](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002370) · [02:21:46 · asr-002371](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002371) · [02:21:48 · asr-002372](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002372) · [02:28:07 · asr-002563](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002563) · [02:28:09 · asr-002564](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002564) · [02:23:08 · asr-002412](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002412) · [02:23:26 · asr-002421](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002421) · [02:23:42 · asr-002429](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002429) · [02:23:53 · asr-002436](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002436) · [02:24:40 · asr-002460](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002460) · [02:25:02 · asr-002471](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002471) · [02:25:04 · asr-002472](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002472) · [02:25:20 · asr-002480](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002480) · [02:25:22 · asr-002481](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002481) · [02:25:43 · asr-002491](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002491) · [02:25:46 · asr-002492](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002492) · [02:25:54 · asr-002496](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002496) · [02:26:03 · asr-002501](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002501) · [02:26:05 · asr-002502](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002502) · [02:26:26 · asr-002513](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002513) · [02:26:29 · asr-002514](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002514) · [02:26:31 · asr-002515](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002515) · [02:26:43 · asr-002521](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002521) · [02:26:54 · asr-002526](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002526) · [02:27:07 · asr-002533](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002533) · [02:27:18 · asr-002538](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002538) · [02:27:54 · asr-002556](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002556) · [02:28:00 · asr-002559](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002559) · [02:28:04 · asr-002561](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002561) · [02:28:57 · asr-002588](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002588) · [02:28:59 · asr-002589](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002589) · [02:29:05 · asr-002592](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002592) · [02:29:11 · asr-002595](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002595) · [02:32:11 · asr-002687](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002687) · [02:32:59 · asr-002711](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002711) · [02:33:31 · asr-002727](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002727) · [02:33:33 · asr-002728](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002728) · [02:33:49 · asr-002736](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002736) · [02:34:01 · asr-002742](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002742) · [02:34:07 · asr-002745](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002745) · [02:34:09 · asr-002746](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002746) · [02:34:13 · asr-002748](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002748) · [02:36:08 · asr-002805](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002805) · [02:36:10 · asr-002806](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002806) · [02:36:51 · asr-002826](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002826) · [02:37:06 · asr-002834](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002834) · [02:37:38 · asr-002851](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002851) · [02:38:00 · asr-002861](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002861) · [02:38:04 · asr-002863](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002863) · [02:39:37 · asr-002909](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002909) · [02:39:53 · asr-002917](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002917) · [02:30:58 · asr-002650](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002650) · [02:31:38 · asr-002670](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002670) · [02:31:46 · asr-002674](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002674) · [02:31:55 · asr-002679](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002679) · [02:31:58 · asr-002680](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002680)

### Rice import costs and tariff rates

Zubiri asked about imported rice prices. Laurel estimated the import price at US$450–US$460 per ton and freight at US$40 per ton, putting the combined cost at about US$490–US$500 per ton. He estimated retail at ₱45–₱50 per kilogram and the landed price at ₱35–₱40 per kilogram after subtracting about ₱10. Laurel also confirmed that the rice tariff had fallen from 35% to 15%. Zubiri said rice tariffs no longer felt like meaningful support to farmers, leading to the separate exchange about tariff-funded rice assistance.

[02:40:45 · asr-002943](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002943) · [02:40:49 · asr-002944](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002944) · [02:40:52 · asr-002946](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002946) · [02:40:55 · asr-002948](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002948) · [02:40:57 · asr-002949](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002949) · [02:41:03 · asr-002952](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002952) · [02:41:05 · asr-002953](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002953) · [02:41:11 · asr-002956](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002956) · [02:41:13 · asr-002957](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002957) · [02:41:15 · asr-002958](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002958) · [02:41:35 · asr-002968](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002968) · [02:41:37 · asr-002969](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-002969)

### Fertilizer supply, alternatives and field extension

Zubiri asked about a rumored Chinese ban on fertilizer and pesticide inputs and whether the DA had alternatives. Laurel said he knew of no official ban, that the reports were unsubstantiated and that supplies continued, though fuel costs made inputs more expensive. He described domestic alternatives including processed chicken manure, composting, biofertilizers and soil conditioners. Zubiri supported organic fertilizer but noted the transport and application volumes farmers would need, and urged the DA to identify supply routes from other countries in case conditions changed.

Zubiri also urged passage of extension-services legislation and stronger DA presence in provinces, including provincial agricultural officers, so farmers could learn about reforms and receive practical support. The source reports these as Zubiri’s requests; Laurel did not give a response to the extension-services proposal in this unit. Zubiri also warned that a weakening peso compounded the cost of imported fuel, farm inputs and machinery, and called for examination of the central bank's exchange-rate approach.

[02:43:21 · asr-003021](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003021) · [02:43:43 · asr-003032](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003032) · [02:43:51 · asr-003036](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003036) · [02:43:58 · asr-003040](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003040) · [02:44:15 · asr-003048](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003048) · [02:44:18 · asr-003050](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003050) · [02:44:29 · asr-003055](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003055) · [02:44:38 · asr-003060](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003060) · [02:44:49 · asr-003065](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003065) · [02:45:04 · asr-003071](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003071) · [02:45:42 · asr-003083](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003083) · [02:45:48 · asr-003085](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003085) · [02:46:16 · asr-003095](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003095) · [02:46:27 · asr-003098](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003098) · [02:48:51 · asr-003163](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003163) · [02:49:08 · asr-003170](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003170) · [02:49:12 · asr-003172](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003172) · [02:46:57 · asr-003108](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003108) · [02:47:32 · asr-003124](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003124)

### Horticulture and high-value crops budget

Zubiri urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to expand support for horticulture and high-value crops alongside rice, corn and sugar, saying small-scale farmers could diversify into ornamentals and bamboo. Laurel said horticulture was on the DA agenda but had a small budget; he said the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), with other agencies, planned a major booth at a Yokohama horticulture show in March 2027. He described horticulture as an alternative livelihood and fully supported the bamboo industry. Zubiri cited local bamboo buyers and farmers who had shifted from subsistence crops to bamboo.

[02:51:17 · asr-003216](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003216) · [02:52:09 · asr-003239](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003239) · [02:52:12 · asr-003240](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003240) · [02:52:17 · asr-003241](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003241) · [02:52:26 · asr-003244](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003244) · [02:52:36 · asr-003246](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003246) · [02:54:04 · asr-003272](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003272) · [02:54:45 · asr-003283](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003283) · [02:55:00 · asr-003289](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003289)

## Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan

### Calamity declaration and preparedness

Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan asked Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. to support a state-of-calamity or imminent-disaster declaration for the El Niño. Laurel agreed, calling declaration a good idea given indications of a super El Niño and urging quick action. Pangilinan offered his office to work with Laurel's chief of staff and said they should press the President to declare a natural calamity. As precedent, Pangilinan recalled the 2014-2015 kokolisap infestation, which threatened coconut trees and could have spread to Region V; he said a calamity declaration brought additional support and coordinated work reduced hot spots from 57 to one in six months.

[03:04:57 · asr-003520](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003520) · [03:06:03 · asr-003553](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003553) · [03:06:23 · asr-003563](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003563)

### Support for backyard hog farmers

Pangilinan asked what support the DA could offer pig farmers facing farmgate prices below their costs, particularly small and backyard farms. He asked about subsidies, ASF vaccines and feed support, noting that feed represented 60 to 70 percent of livestock production costs and that he understood 70 to 80 percent of pig farms were small. The reply turned to cloud-seeding funding, leaving these requests for pork-sector relief unanswered in this exchange.

[03:14:21 · asr-003804](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003804) · [03:15:02 · asr-003825](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003825) · [03:15:51 · asr-003830](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003830)

### Fisheries enforcement records and pending legal challenge

Pangilinan returned to documents he had requested from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), including a breakdown of 7,639 cases and 551 Section 86 cases by municipal-water encroachment, notices, complaints and resolutions. BFAR Director Elizer S. Salilig confirmed that the Supreme Court case concerning monitoring equipment on commercial vessels remained pending and agreed to provide the petition. Pangilinan asked for the case breakdown and updated records, including data current through the third quarter of 2026, before the November plenary; Salilig said the requested information would be provided the next day.

Pangilinan also sought a full comparison of small-fisher and commercial-fishing production, noting reported changes between 2020 and 2025 and asking for the complete picture. He connected the data request to proposed fisheries-code amendments intended to protect municipal waters, including the 15-kilometer zone.

[03:52:36 · asr-004371](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004371) · [03:52:39 · asr-004373](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004373) · [03:53:05 · asr-004385](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004385) · [03:53:11 · asr-004387](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004387) · [03:54:04 · asr-004414](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004414) · [03:54:08 · asr-004416](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004416) · [03:54:12 · asr-004418](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004418) · [03:55:16 · asr-004450](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004450) · [03:55:50 · asr-004467](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004467) · [03:55:58 · asr-004471](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004471) · [03:56:04 · asr-004474](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004474) · [03:56:22 · asr-004483](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004483) · [03:57:02 · asr-004503](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004503)

### Rendering agreement, meat seizures and enforcement roles

Laurel said the memorandum of agreement between the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on rendering had been signed and that he would submit a copy that day. Pangilinan raised earlier reports of confiscated meat allegedly sold rather than destroyed and a recent misdeclared chicken shipment at Subic. Laurel said the Department had itself complained that some rendering facilities staged destruction while reselling products; he said a joint memorandum was important so the Department and enforcement agencies were present and could verify destruction.

Asked about the ₱10 million threshold under the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, Undersecretary Carlos C. Carag described cases above the threshold as handled through a council and court process, with destruction only, while cases below it were for Customs to decide on rendering or destruction. Pangilinan said the committee would review the arrangement; Carag emphasized that rendering itself fell under Customs and the Department acted as a witness. His explanation was recorded as the officials’ description of the process, not a legal determination.

On a separate Bulacan market seizure, Pangilinan cited a report valuing unsafe meat at ₱634,000 and describing about three tons. National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) OIC Executive Director Dr. Fernando N. Lontoc said the NMIS operation had confiscated almost two tons of uninspected chicken, which the agency treated as unsafe meat. He said it was the sellers’ first apprehension, so the agency confiscated the products rather than filing a complaint, and that rendering at recognized facilities was supervised and documented. Pangilinan asked whether facilities for rendering were funded; Carag said funds were not yet sufficient for five rendering and biosafety sites, so biosafety facilities were prioritized while existing facilities near major seaports could be certified.

[04:01:40 · asr-004601](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004601) · [04:01:42 · asr-004602](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004602) · [04:03:51 · asr-004632](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004632) · [04:04:21 · asr-004640](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004640) · [04:05:53 · asr-004660](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004660) · [04:06:31 · asr-004665](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004665) · [04:06:48 · asr-004669](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004669) · [04:06:56 · asr-004671](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004671) · [04:41:13 · asr-004943](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004943) · [04:42:34 · asr-004956](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004956) · [04:43:12 · asr-004963](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004963) · [04:43:23 · asr-004966](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004966) · [04:45:36 · asr-004988](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004988) · [04:45:47 · asr-004990](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004990) · [04:41:31 · asr-004946](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004946)

### Corn import timing and minimum access volume

Pangilinan questioned raising the minimum access volume (MAV) for lower-tariff corn while the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) had reported corn stocks up 47% year over year. Laurel said the increase was intended to limit livestock-feed cost inflation, and that MAV corn would not be released during the main local harvest but used afterward under Department rules. Pangilinan asked how the Department would protect local producers; Laurel said an implementing rules and regulations process would manage the timing and entry.

[04:17:15 · asr-004805](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004805) · [04:17:32 · asr-004811](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004811) · [04:17:50 · asr-004813](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004813) · [04:17:53 · asr-004814](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004814) · [04:18:10 · asr-004818](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004818) · [04:18:23 · asr-004820](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004820) · [04:18:45 · asr-004824](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004824)

### Reconciling PSA and DA crop-production data

Pangilinan said onion-import decisions had been affected by differing Philippine Statistics Authority and Bureau of Plant Industry production figures: he cited a 62,000-metric-ton gap, with the PSA reporting more production than the Bureau. He said the lower figure had supported an import decision and import permits arrived during or after harvest, and recalled asking the Department and PSA to sign a memorandum of agreement to reconcile the data. The committee's copy initially lacked signatures from DA Undersecretary Drusila Esther E. Bayate and National Corn Program Director Abel F. Wagas. Wagas promised to sign. Bayate said the document had stayed in her office for only one day; Pangilinan subsequently acknowledged her as having signed and Wagas as undertaking to sign, and thanked the DA for the agreement intended to align the two agencies' supply data. He had pressed for completion before plenary.

[04:46:26 · asr-004996](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004996) · [04:46:45 · asr-004998](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004998) · [04:46:56 · asr-005000](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005000) · [04:47:12 · asr-005001](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005001) · [04:47:50 · asr-005008](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005008) · [04:48:39 · asr-005023](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005023) · [04:49:43 · asr-005040](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005040) · [04:50:08 · asr-005050](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005050) · [04:50:22 · asr-005055](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005055) · [04:49:56 · asr-005044](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005044) · [04:50:06 · asr-005049](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005049) · [04:50:11 · asr-005051](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-005051)

### Limay shipment and documentation

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan asked about the seized rice shipments bound for Limay, Bataan, and Davao, noting that the dates in the permits appeared to have been missed. Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry review found no document issue or evidence of the alleged tampering in the Limay file. He cited the shipping company’s August 31 bill of lading and a September 1 must-depart date as consistent with the permit, and said the Bureau of Customs (BOC) would determine the shipment’s status. Laurel characterized the importer as a private company and said the DA’s role was issuance of the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance. Pangilinan asked Laurel to submit the documents he relied on; Laurel agreed.

[05:32:26 · asr-006046](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006046) · [05:35:16 · asr-006073](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006073) · [05:35:23 · asr-006075](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006075) · [05:36:35 · asr-006093](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006093) · [05:37:01 · asr-006098](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006098)

### Davao shipment cancellation, interception and later timeline evidence

For the Davao-bound Tyson 2, Laurel said he personally cancelled the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance and ordered the vessel apprehended so the cargo could be checked. He recounted instructing officials to prevent unloading after the vessel left Vietnam, tracking it, and directing that it be taken to the General Santos Fish Port. He said the Navy later reported the interception and that he would provide the messages, reports and photographs to the committee. These were Laurel’s account of his actions and the sequence he had been given.

When Senator Imee R. Marcos asked for the latest update, Laurel said documents were still being reviewed. He then cited an email from the vessel owner to its agent reporting that the vessel had been directed to General Santos at 8:30 a.m. on September 18. Laurel said this could indicate good faith, adding that the email and tracking did not by themselves establish foul play; he said the cargo’s conformity with its declaration would matter. He agreed to provide the email.

[05:37:04 · asr-006099](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006099) · [05:38:35 · asr-006121](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006121) · [05:38:40 · asr-006122](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006122) · [05:40:05 · asr-006145](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006145) · [05:40:29 · asr-006152](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006152) · [05:42:42 · asr-006191](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006191) · [05:42:59 · asr-006197](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006197) · [05:43:17 · asr-006205](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006205)

### PPI consignee, cancelled contract and proposed cargo disposition

Marcos asked whether the seized rice would be auctioned or donated. Laurel said he had seen reports that the BOC wanted an auction but had told the media he opposed that option; he suggested destruction, returning the cargo to the sender or distributing it through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). He described these as options under discussion while the files were reviewed, not a final disposition.

Pangilinan asked why Planters Products, Inc. (PPI) was the consignee and who, if anyone, within PPI had agreed to the arrangement. Laurel said PPI was independent and he served only ex officio, without day-to-day control, while also saying he had investigated the matter. He relayed PPI’s explanation that the contract had been cancelled because the shipment was supposed to leave Vietnam by July 31, had not been consummated, and no payment had been made. Laurel said his investigation indicated PPI did not own the cargo. Pangilinan asked that PPI’s side be heard and that any person who authorized the arrangement be identified; the exchange did not establish individual responsibility or conclude that a crime had occurred. When Pangilinan referred to a value of $400 million, Laurel corrected him to ₱400 million. Laurel offered to subject the DA and PPI to an inquiry chosen by the Senate.

[05:41:38 · asr-006174](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006174) · [05:42:06 · asr-006183](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006183) · [05:43:27 · asr-006208](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006208) · [05:43:50 · asr-006214](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006214) · [05:44:17 · asr-006223](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006223) · [05:44:20 · asr-006224](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006224) · [05:44:30 · asr-006226](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006226) · [05:45:09 · asr-006239](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006239) · [05:45:48 · asr-006259](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006259) · [05:46:07 · asr-006268](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006268) · [05:46:09 · asr-006269](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006269) · [05:46:20 · asr-006274](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006274) · [05:46:35 · asr-006282](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006282)

### PPI import records

Marcos renewed her request for PPI’s ten-year rice-importation record. Laurel said the DA had records through the Bureau of Plant Industry and would provide them; he understood PPI had begun importing only two years earlier. Separately, Pangilinan acknowledged receipt of the supporting shipment documents Laurel had presented; the ten-year import-record request remained a commitment.

[05:49:25 · asr-006364](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006364) · [05:49:48 · asr-006375](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006375) · [05:50:02 · asr-006383](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006383) · [05:49:44 · asr-006373](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006373) · [05:49:47 · asr-006374](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006374)

### Farmer income measures and April 2026 wage data

Pangilinan asked for average farmer income and recalled monthly figures around ₱14,000, while Marcos referred to Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) figures around ₱13,000–₱15,000 and Pangilinan interpreted the spoken series as ₱14,605 a month. Laurel first said current data were unavailable, then reported a 6.5% average annual increase in agricultural workers’ daily wages from 2020 to 2024. As of April 2026, he gave average daily basic pay of ₱387.90 for agricultural workers and ₱412.27 for fishing and aquaculture. The discussion distinguished these daily wage figures from the senators’ monthly farmer-income estimates. Pangilinan and Laurel also cited 27% poverty incidence in agriculture.

[05:50:28 · asr-006394](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006394) · [05:51:06 · asr-006406](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006406) · [05:51:30 · asr-006416](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006416) · [05:52:14 · asr-006435](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006435) · [05:52:24 · asr-006439](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006439) · [05:52:34 · asr-006444](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006444) · [05:52:40 · asr-006447](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006447) · [05:53:23 · asr-006470](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006470) · [05:53:29 · asr-006473](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006473)

### Income benchmarks across subsectors

Pangilinan argued that DA programs should be judged by their effect on farmers’ incomes, with benchmarks showing current earnings and intended gains across subsectors rather than relying only on production and beneficiary counts. He asked the DA to develop subsector income benchmarks and said interventions should improve viability and profitability. He also urged income targets for coconut farmers alongside fertilization, replanting and intercropping programs. Laurel agreed to proceed with the benchmarking work and follow the committee’s direction. Marcos supported measuring success by the money reaching farmers rather than counts of trainings, seeds and equipment.

[05:55:04 · asr-006529](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006529) · [06:01:08 · asr-006750](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006750) · [06:01:26 · asr-006756](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006756) · [06:01:38 · asr-006761](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006761) · [05:56:43 · asr-006590](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-006590)

## Civil society budget proposals

### Citizen monitoring and scientific participation

Abante commended the DA's Farm-to-Market Road Watch website, which he said listed 3,455 completed projects out of 6,428, worth PHP 110 billion and spanning nearly 2,700 kilometers; he noted that the e-reports portal then showed only 24 reports from citizen inspectors. He offered PBC and the Bisto Proyecto network, active in 12 regions, to help monitor DA road and irrigation projects with farmer and fisher groups. He said more than 200 volunteers had monitored 251 DPWH projects worth PHP 14 billion across 12 regions, identified 92 unsatisfactory projects and resolved nine, and were improving the feedback process with DPWH. Committee chair Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan placed on the record that Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. gave a thumbs-up to Abante's request to work with the DA; Abante welcomed the signal.

Abante also urged the committee to involve scientists, hydrologists and disaster-resilience specialists, and agriculturists and ecologists from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), in reviewing the budget, project coordinates and El Niño needs. He proposed institutionalizing the Budget Monitoring Group and Budget Monitoring Network and supporting third-party research institutions to conduct detailed project analysis, and asked that farmers' and fishers' groups be heard. He thanked the committee for inviting civil society, which he said was the first such invitation in at least ten years, and asked Pangilinan to recognize Timothy Salomon, who was carrying input from farmer and fisher groups.

[03:17:39 · asr-003848](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003848) · [03:18:15 · asr-003854](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003854) · [03:18:54 · asr-003860](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003860) · [03:26:41 · asr-003944](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003944) · [03:26:56 · asr-003946](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003946) · [03:27:22 · asr-003950](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003950) · [03:27:31 · asr-003951](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003951) · [03:27:36 · asr-003952](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003952) · [03:28:05 · asr-003958](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003958) · [03:28:18 · asr-003962](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003962) · [03:28:36 · asr-003966](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003966) · [03:29:03 · asr-003972](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003972) · [03:29:07 · asr-003973](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003973) · [03:28:30 · asr-003965](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-003965)

## CODE-NGO Project Coordinator Timothy Salomon

### Civil-society proposals for sugar pest control and farm inputs

CODE-NGO project coordinator Timothy Salomon, representing the People’s Budget Coalition and Task Force Mapalad National Peasant Federation, supported the Department of Agriculture’s response to RSSI but urged stronger pest control. He contrasted synthetic pesticide costs of ₱10,000 per hectare with a proposed biocontrol method costing ₱2,600 per hectare, which he said could be multiplied in small laboratories, including by agricultural students. He described RSSI as related to cocolisap and urged the Department to apply lessons from its coconut response to sugar.

Salomon also urged less reliance on imported synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and greater development of locally produced, nature-based inputs. He said reports identified seven fertilizers still used in banana production that had been banned in the European Union and United States, and promised to submit the product names; he framed this as a report requiring follow-up, not a verified list in this exchange. He argued that local production could retain value with farmers and protect soil.

[03:32:44 · asr-004025](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004025) · [03:32:47 · asr-004026](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004026) · [03:32:50 · asr-004028](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004028) · [03:33:43 · asr-004041](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004041) · [03:34:06 · asr-004046](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004046) · [03:34:14 · asr-004048](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004048) · [03:34:26 · asr-004052](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004052) · [03:35:22 · asr-004073](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004073) · [03:35:34 · asr-004078](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004078) · [03:35:39 · asr-004080](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004080) · [03:35:45 · asr-004082](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004082) · [03:35:57 · asr-004086](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004086)

### Farmer organization, extension services and land conversion

Salomon raised gaps in farmer registration and access to agricultural services. Citing reported figures, he said 40% of the farming and fishing population remained unregistered in the DA farmer registry, while an Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) report indicated that 80% of farmers had access to organizational registration. He argued that registration requirements could leave smallholders outside support and urged follow-through on a prior Department commitment to community organizing and cooperatives. 

He supported the proposed National Land Use Act and said that, over a decade, land conversion had outpaced irrigation, with irrigation reaching only about 30% of the area converted each year. Although local-government reclassification and land-conversion processes included public consultation, he said farmers lacked access to irrigation data needed to participate meaningfully and asked the Department to make the information available.

Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan said the Senate had passed on third reading twin measures on extension services and reestablishing the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperatives. Under the proposed arrangement, the Department of Agriculture would organize and develop agricultural cooperatives while the Cooperative Development Authority would regulate them. Pangilinan said the Department could meanwhile augment its REACH program and consider a transition provision; Laurel said he would push the measures.

[03:36:38 · asr-004100](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004100) · [03:37:07 · asr-004109](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004109) · [03:37:44 · asr-004119](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004119) · [03:38:59 · asr-004141](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004141) · [03:39:31 · asr-004150](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004150) · [03:39:41 · asr-004154](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004154) · [03:40:16 · asr-004161](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004161) · [03:41:01 · asr-004170](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004170) · [03:41:11 · asr-004172](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004172) · [03:41:40 · asr-004175](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004175) · [03:50:38 · asr-004313](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004313) · [03:50:53 · asr-004320](https://tordecilla.github.io/budget-hearings-2026/records/101/#asr-004320)