DA budget slashed by over half to P167.5 billion  

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking approval for its P167.46-billion budget next year, which was slashed by more than half from its original proposal of almost P400 billion.

In a Congressional hearing Tuesday, the DA said the proposed outlay exceeds this year’s budget of P158.16 billion by 6.15 percent.

“Public investments related to rice and fisheries production account for bulk of the increases,” DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said.

He said the budget proposal also includes “increased budgetary outlays for various activities that support the sustainable production of high value crops and corn.”

However, the presented 2024 budget was 57 percent lower than the agency’s total proposed budget of P396.04 billion.

In her report, DA Undersecretary for policy, planning, and regulations Mercedita Sombilla said the salient terms in the 2024 proposed budget include the P2.22 billion allocated for hog repopulation under the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) Program; P9.55 billion for fertilizer assistance; P9.8 billion for hybrid seed assistance; P2.49 billion to implement the Yellow Corn Production Enhancement Program; P2.75 billion for the agricultural credit program; P1 billion for the Quick Response Fund.

In a statement, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said agriculture and food are not among the priorities of the Marcos administration in the proposed national budget for next year.

While the overall budget for agriculture and agrarian reform increased by six percent to P197.84 billion, the group said it only covers 3.43 percent of the P5.768-trillion national budget requested by the administration.

The group also said the DA’s budget proposal is “very meager compared to the budget allocation for military spending, debt interest payments, and infrastructure.”

Agriculture is in the eighth place of the national government’s priority sectors based on the proposed budget of national government agencies, the KMP said.

It noted that the budgets of P229.93 billion for the Department of National Defense, P195.73 billion for the Philippine National Police, and P821.10 billion for the Department of Public Works and Highways are “way much larger than the budget earmarked for the domestic rice industry and food production.”

“Contrary to the President’s claim, agriculture, and food security are not real priorities of this administration,” KMP secretary general Ronnie Manalo said.

KMP noted that only P30.9 billion is proposed for DA’s National Rice Program while a whopping P1.246 trillion is requested for the Build, Better, More infrastructure program.

“Based on our computation, for every peso spent for local rice production, the government will spend a higher P40 for national roads, bridges, airports, and other infra projects,” Manalo said.

“Even the entire proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture of P105.9 billion is lower than the budget allotted for the pension of uniformed personnel amounting to P129.8 billion. The total budget for confidential and intelligence funds amounting to P10.5 billion is higher than the NFA’s Rice Buffer Stocking Program budget of P9 billion.

President Marcos’ requested budget for travel and foreign trips amounting to P1.4 billion is higher than the P1 billion  fuel subsidy allotted for corn farmers and fisherfolks. The skewed priorities in the proposed national budget are glaring and unacceptable,” the group’s leader said.

The KMP also noted the very limited beneficiaries of the DA’s programs and projects compared to the millions of farmers and fisherfolk in need of urgent assistance and agriculture subsidies.