State-run Land Bank of the Philippines said Thursday it reduced the interest rate on its AGRISENSO Plus Lending Program to 3 percent per annum from 4 percent, making agricultural credit more affordable for small farmers, fishers and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
The move is part of LandBank’s effort to expand access to affordable financing and strengthen support for the agriculture sector, said president and chief executive Lynette Ortiz.
The reduced rate and program launch was led by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., along with Ortiz, on Oct. 30, 2025, at the Cadiz City Arena in Negros Occidental.
“Through our partnership with LANDBANK and other collaborators, we will ensure that the benefits of the AGRISENSO Plus Program reach all farmers and fishers in every part of the country,” said Tiu Laurel.
The value chain-based lending program, developed in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the private sector, provides “holistic and practical solutions” to help farmers address ongoing challenges such as climate change, unstable farmgate prices, and disruptions from natural calamities like the recent Mt. Kanlaon eruption, Ortiz said.
The program offers simplified documentation, free life and credit life insurance, and expanded technical and market support to boost farm productivity and profitability.
Aside from small farmers and fishers, the program also provides competitive financing rates for cooperatives, associations, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), large agribusinesses, anchor firms and agriculture graduates.
The program now allows online loan applications, enabling farmers to apply anytime and anywhere, in tandem with the LandBank ASCEND (Agri-Fishery Support through Capability Enhancement for Nationwide Development) program, which offers training in digital financial literacy, sustainable agriculture, and enterprise development.
LandBank said that as of August 2025, it has released P1.78 billion in loans under AGRISENSO Plus, benefiting more than 12,000 borrowers nationwide.
Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. of Cadiz City said the program supports his goal of transforming Cadiz and its neighboring towns into a leading agricultural hub in Negros Occidental through improved access to credit and agribusiness development.
The Negros Occidental launch follows earlier rollouts in Pampanga, Cagayan, Isabela, Batanes, Bukidnon, Iloilo and Palawan.
