The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Rose de la Cruz
IT CERTAINLY would be a good, if not the best, year in 2026 for the Department of Agriculture.
Considering that it is set to get a final allocation of at least P216.1 billion after various legislative adjustments.
The DA welcomed the House’s approval of its proposed P216.1 billion budget for 2026—a P39.4 billion increase from the original P176.7 billion allocation.
Of the P39.4 billion increase, P22.5 billion will go to the DA’s Office of the Secretary for flagship projects such as farm-to-market roads, cold storage facilities, and solar-powered irrigation systems. The remaining P16.9 billion will support coconut replanting, enhanced crop insurance, fish port upgrades, farm-to-mill roads for sugar areas, and modern post-harvest facilities.
The additional funds are intended to bolster key agricultural infrastructure, expand crop insurance, and boost productivity programs, especially for high-impact commodities like coconut.
Pampanga Rep. Anna York Bondoc, who defended the DA budget during plenary debates, said the increase underscores the government’s recognition of agriculture as a critical economic pillar—one that employs nearly one in every five Filipinos and contributes nearly 10 percent of gross domestic product.
“These additional funds are a powerful testament of our recognition that our investment in agriculture is an investment into our shared future,” Bondoc said.
“It means direct support for hardworking farmers, better technology for our fisherfolk, and a more stable and resilient food supply for every Filipino family.”
While Bondoc noted that the House approval is already a major step in the budget process, she vowed to help shepherd the measure through the Senate and bicameral conference committee.
The final amount was reached after the House of Representatives pushed for a higher allocation than initially proposed, a move welcomed by the DA as a significant investment in food security and rural development.
Included in this hefty budget are the funds from the Department of Public Works and Highways for the farm-to-market roads; funds for invigorating the livestock sector through repopulation, improvement of stocks and other interventions to ensure faster production of meat products for local consumption and reduce importations; the continued allocation from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Program and so many other adjustments.
Actually, the House approved P216.1 billion while the Senate okayed P184.1 billion, with the senators expressing openness to a higher figure during the bicameral conference committee meetings.
The Bicameral adjustments thus include an increase of P39.4 billion which was redirected from other projects (like flood control) towards agriculture, education and social welfare.
The final amount was part of the P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026, which has been ratified by both houses of Congress and is currently under review by the Malacañang for signing into law.