THE House Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSc) has recommended an additional P20.86 billion for the agriculture sector in the proposed 2027 national budget to help farmers and fisherfolk cope with the anticipated effects of El Niño.
The proposed P20.864-billion increase covers the Department of Agriculture (DA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), with additional funding directed toward agricultural assistance, irrigation and measures to sustain food production.
BARSc head and House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Mikaela Suansing said the recommendation fulfills the House of Representatives’ commitment to make the 2027 budget ‘El Niño ready.’
During deliberations, lawmakers stressed the need to prepare for possible water shortages and disruptions to agricultural production while helping farmers cope with rising fuel, fertilizer and other input costs.
The largest proposed addition is P10 billion for Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk, which Suansing said received no allocation under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
She said a similar P10-billion allocation in the 2026 budget benefited about 4.3 million farmers nationwide.
Suansing stressed the need to have funds readily available so the government can immediately assist farmers should El Niño materialize.
BARSc also recommended an additional P500 million for fertilizer assistance to help farmers continue planting despite higher production costs.
To improve access to water, the subcommittee proposed P125 million for solar-powered irrigation pumps under the DA, particularly for areas outside NIA’s irrigation coverage.
Additional funding was also recommended for NIA’s national and communal irrigation systems, pump irrigation projects, locally funded irrigation projects and the Pantingan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project.
The proposed agriculture package includes an additional P4.96 billion for farm-to-market roads and P500 million for the construction and rehabilitation of fishports.
Another P105 million was recommended for hybrid solar-powered ice plants to help reduce spoilage of fish catches.
BARSc also proposed P150 million for agricultural tram systems to transport crops from mountainous production areas and P100 million for high-value crops, with lawmakers seeking additional support for the country’s ube industry.
Suansing also called on the DA to improve its farmer registry and review its guidelines for distributing assistance following concerns that some farmworkers and fisherfolk have been unable to receive government support.
The proposed P20.86-billion increase forms part of BARSc’s recommended amendments to the proposed 2027 national budget and remains subject to approval in plenary.