SPEAKER Faustino Dy III on Monday announced that one million rice farmers will each receive ₱7,000 in direct cash assistance under the 2026 national budget as part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s expanded support for the agriculture sector.
Speaking at the joint hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food chaired by Quezon 1st District Rep. Mark Enverga and the Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo, Dy said the assistance will help farmers recover from income losses caused by the drop in palay prices.
“I assure you help is underway. One million farmers will receive seven thousand pesos (₱7,000) cash aid each to alleviate their losses caused by the low price of rice,” said Dy.
He said the program aligns with Executive Order No. 93, which temporarily suspends rice importation to protect local producers from oversupply and low prices. According to the Speaker, the distribution of cash aid shows President Marcos’ determination to immediately address farmers’ hardships while introducing long-term reforms.
“We also appealed to the President that all types of subsidies from the Department of Agriculture, such as seed subsidy, be given in cash so that our farmers can benefit more easily and directly,” Dy added.
Dy, who has long championed the welfare of farmers, said many growers in Isabela sell palay for as low as ₱8 per kilo—far below the ₱16 to ₱18 needed to recover production costs. He underscored the importance of long-term reforms through the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act, which seeks to strengthen the National Food Authority (NFA) by restoring its power to buy palay during harvest, raising rice import tariffs to 35 percent, and setting a ₱25-per-kilo floor price.
The measure will also allocate 75 percent of tariff revenues to a Price Stabilization Fund for farmer support. Dy added that faster crop insurance processing, digital systems, and interest-free government loans are part of the administration’s rural development efforts. The joint hearing gathered officials from key agencies, industry representatives, and farmers’ groups to discuss EO 93 and other support programs.
