P10-B assistance not enough to cover farmers, fisherfolk amid crisis — Pangilinan
Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Monday, April 6, that the government's P10 billion assistance to farmers and fisherfolk is not enough to cover all of them, especially as the country battles the impact of the ongoing crisis.
Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan (Facebook)
Pangilian noted the 60 percent gap in farm aid, saying the amount that the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk provides only covers 4.18 million of the at least 10.76 food producers across the country.
"As it is, marami pang wala sa registry. As it is, marami na sa kanila ang hirap, wala pa man ding sigalot sa Gitnang Silangan," Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, added.
And only if we "ensure their livelihood, we can ensure the country's food supply," he added.
Thus, the senator called for apportioning some of the funds appropriated under the FY 2026 General Appropriations Act, including P63.845-billion Protective Services for Individuals and Families in Difficult Circumstances (PSIFDC), P21.283 billion TUPAD, and other emergency cash aid programs to the rest of those registered under the Department of Agriculture's records.
He also called for tighter inter-agency coordination and cooperation to expand assistance coverage, urging agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD, which handles Protective Services), DOLE (which handles TUPAD), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Agriculture (DA), and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to streamline aid delivery.
Pangilinan said stronger coordination across government agencies is crucial to guarantee broader and faster aid delivery, which for him is a necessity that is made even more urgent during periods of economic strain.
He emphasized that assistance can reach more kababayans swiftly and effectively through this united effort.
"Because to secure our food, we must secure our food producers," he said.