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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Brian Poe hails foresight in irrigation plans under 2026 national budget

Brian Poe hails foresight in irrigation plans under 2026 national budget

Published Oct 10, 2025 11:32 pm

At A Glance

  • FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe hailed on Friday, Oct. 10 the Budget and Appropriations Review Sub-Committee (BARSc)-endorsed ammendment to the 2026 national budget that was "forward-looking" for the sake of farmers.
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe (Rep. Poe's office)
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe (Rep. Poe's office)


FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe hailed on Friday, Oct. 10 the Budget and Appropriations Review Sub-Committee (BARSc)-endorsed ammendment to the 2026 national budget that was "forward-looking" for the sake of farmers.
“But there’s one point that I really want to highlight, and that’s the ₱7-billion increase of the already ₱1.5-billion increase in national irrigation systems," Poe, a vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said during the recent second meeting of BARSc.
The second BARSc meeting Wednesday, Oct. 8 paved the way for the second reading passage of the ₱6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2026 on Friday afternoon, Oct. 10.
"This is very important. This proves that we’re looking forward into the drier seasons, which will be coming up," said the rookie congressmen from Pangasinan.
"And this has been a problem for the farming community for the longest time. So this is a good signal that we are also adjusting, not just to what we’re experiencing now, but also to future concerns, especially when it’s dry season,” Poe pointed out.
NIA’s 2026 allocation now includes ₱18 billion for the construction and repair of irrigation canals and for solar-powered pump systems in areas not reached by conventional irrigation.
Poe described the increased irrigation budgets and other realignments that involved the agriculture sector as all part of the “holistic budget” that's key to ensuring food security and sustainable incomes for farmers.
He explained that the adjustment was made to ensure efficiency and balance among programs that complement one another.
All approved BARSc amendments to the proposed 2026 outlay have been incorporated on the bill passed on second reading.
Poe stressed the need to repair existing irrigation systems to help farmers recover from recurring climate damage:
“Just a last note on this. I just want to highlight the fact that this also includes repairs of irrigation systems, which is very important, especially for us in Pangasinan. The other irrigation systems are badly damaged by typhoons. So these repairs are also important. The repairs to the old irrigation systems will really benefit our farmers,” he said.
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