Senator Kiko Pangilinan is pressing for the immediate use of ₱18 billion in unused agriculture funds, warning that delays in releasing aid are worsening the burden on farmers and fisherfolk already hit by rising fuel and fertilizer costs linked to the crisis in the Middle East.
Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture, said the funds can be drawn from ₱10 billion in unreleased farm-to-market road appropriations and ₱8 billion in unobligated continuing appropriations, based on data from the Department of Agriculture. He said the money is already available and should be redirected to fuel and fertilizer subsidies for sectors facing higher production costs.
“Is it not enough that our farmers and fisherfolk are already the poorest sector in our country? Do they still have to continue suffering because of the conflict in the Middle East?” Pangilinan said. He added, “It is disheartening that with each passing day, we have funds that could be used to help our farmers and fisherfolk, yet they remain tied up in bureaucracy.”
Rising fuel prices are increasing the cost of transport, fishing operations, and farm inputs, while fertilizer prices are also affected by supply pressures. Pangilinan said these increases directly raise production costs and put pressure on food supply, with the impact reaching consumers through higher prices.
The proposal would add to the ₱10-billion Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk program, which is set to give about 4.1 million beneficiaries ₱2,325 each. Pangilinan said the support remains limited, with only a portion of farmers and fisherfolk covered while costs continue to rise.
“Our farmers and fisherfolk can no longer afford to wait for our slow bureaucracy. Every peso matters to protect them and the ordinary Filipino consumer,” he said.
