House lawmakers support hike in Agriculture budget for 2025

The Department of Agriculture (DA) may expect a drastic increase in its 2025 budget.

Several lawmakers backed a budget hike for the DA, recognizing its need to address the “long standing issues affecting the agriculture sector.”

During the budget hearing conducted by the House Committee on Appropriations, the panel’s senior vice chairperson, Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, stressed the urgent need for strategic and efficient allocation of the proposed P200.195 billion DA budget for 2025.

Highlighting the 8.6 percent contribution of agriculture and fisheries to the Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023, Quimbo stressed the sector’s vital role in ensuring food security and sustainable livelihoods for farmers and fishermen.

“Achieving food security is not just a goal but a fundamental mandate that the DA must prioritize,” Quimbo said.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. admitted to the panel that the proposed budget for next year is insufficient to fully address the numerous challenges confronting the sector.

He emphasized the need for significant investments, stressing that enhancing agriculture is essential to achieving the promise of a “Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas” under the Marcos administration.

“We must enhance the Philippine agriculture to make it more productive, competitive and resilient to support our growing population and build prosperous rural communities,” the DA chief said.

Tiu Laurel added that the DA initially requested some P500 billion for next year, and will aim to secure at least P250 billion if the full amount cannot be granted.

When Rep. Wilbert Lee of the AGRI party-list group asked Tiu Laurel what their plans are for their current proposed decreased budget, the latter replied that they intend to focus on improving underperforming and economically disadvantaged areas.

The DA chief also mentioned plans to link agricultural markets, which is essential for efficient distribution of goods, reducing post-harvest losses, improving farmers’ market access and ultimately enhancing food security and economic growth.

The DA also got support from Deputy Speaker Antonio Albano to restore their originally requested 2025 budget of P500 billion, or at the very least, to increase it by an additional P100 billion.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez also believes that there is a “near unanimous consensus” from the members of Congress to increase the DA’s budget.

He noted the other lawmakers’ arguments on the reduction of P12.9 billion from the 2024 GAA to the current P200.2 billion, with only 3.15 percent of the national budget allocated to agriculture, is a figure significantly lower than that of neighboring ASEAN and Asian countries.

Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco was designated to be the sponsor of the DA’s budget once deliberations reached the House plenary.