The government should utilize the P30-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to finance interventions that go beyond short-term financial aid to shield farmers from the effects of El Niño and rising global fuel costs, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said.

Escudero made the suggestion as the Department of Agriculture (DA) started rolling out the P10-billion Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program, which provides P2,325 each to more than 4.17 million farmers and fisherfolk nationwide.

Escudero said the P30-billion amount under RCEF, which was created under Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, could be redirected to interventions that “most effectively promote farmers’ productivity, supply resiliency and address food security emergency situations on rice due to supply shortage or extraordinary increase in prices.”

He said this fund can also be mobilized for expanded financial assistance, rice credit, and irrigation projects.

“Isa pang pwede na makakatulong sa ating mga magsasaka ay yung portion ng P30 billion mula sa rice competitiveness enhancement program, specifically the P15 billion for other priority programs (Another thing that could help our farmers is the P30 billion portion from the rice competitiveness enhancement program, specifically the P15 billion for other priority programs),” Escudero said.

He said government interventions in this time of compounded crisis must be forward-looking, in light of El Niño’s looming dry spell and global fuel shocks from Middle East tensions.

“Makakatulong ang short-term and immediate ayuda subalit kailangan rin natin ng mga pangmatagalang programang magpapatibay sa produksyon at magbibigay ng kakayahan sa ating mga magsasaka na harapin ang tagtuyot at mataas na presyo ng langis (Short-term and immediate aid can help, but we also need long-term programs that will strengthen production and empower our farmers to deal with drought and high oil prices),” he stressed.

The goal, he said, is to strengthen farmers’ resilience: “Ang mahalaga ay matulungan silang makabangon at makapagpatuloy sa produksyon, upang manatiling matatag ang ating suplay ng pagkain kahit sa gitna ng krisis (The important thing is to help them recover and continue production, so that our food supply remains stable even in the midst of the crisis).”

According to the DA, the P2,325 cash aid—though modest and primarily designed as short-term relief—will serve as a lifeline against soaring fuel costs, with initial payouts already underway in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Agriculture officials said they are also bracing for a moderate to strong El Niño later this year, with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Agency (PAGASA) raising the likelihood of development to 79 percent by June.