By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu 

MANILA, Philippines — At least one million rice farmers will get a P7,000 cash aid under the proposed 2026 national budget to ensure that the agricultural sector will thrive, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said on Monday.

Dy said this during the joint hearing of the House committee on agriculture and food and the committee on ways and means regarding the moratorium on rice importation.

He said that the Department of Agriculture (DA) needs to implement systems properly so that the country would not be reliant on importation.

“The amount of rice imported should be based on the actual harvest, including the DA’s post-harvest assessment to guide their decisions. In this manner, we will comply with the rules of the WTO (World Trade Organization) while prioritizing evidence and the welfare of our farmers,” Dy said in his speech.

“In connection with this, I am happy to inform you that in our 2026 national budget, farmers will receive direct cash aid as part of the government’s wider support for the agriculture sector. Help will surely come,” he said.

“One million farmers will each receive P7,000 cash aid to address the loss of income due to the low buying price of palay,” he announced.

According to Dy, the provision of a cash aid shows the commitment of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration in helping farmers and implementing long-lasting reforms.

“The distribution of a cash aid shows the determination of President Marcos in immediately addressing the hardships of our farmers, and along with this push for lasting reforms,” the speaker said.

“Our president is also appealing that all DA subsidies, like the seed subsidy, would be given as cash so that it would be easier and so that our farmers can directly benefit from this,” he noted.

As early as June 23 — before the 19th Congress lawmakers ended their term — former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said that the House will focus on improving the capability of the the National Food Authority (NFA), so that the government can buy palay or rice grains at fair prices while selling them cheaper.

Romualdez eventually filed House Bill (HB) No. 1 or the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act, which seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) No. 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act.

Based on the copy of the measure released by Romualdez’s office, the bill seeks to strengthen the regulatory powers of the NFA “to support the rice industry and ensure consumer protection through adequate supply and stable price of rice.”

Dy said the RICE Act will be tackled by the House being a priority legislation of the chamber and the entire Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac).

“In talking with farmers from Isabela, many said that the buying price of palay has gone down to as low as P8 per kilogram — far from the P16 to P18 that is needed to recover losses,” he said.

“If palay is sold at an extremely low price, farmers would not only be in danger, but also the food security of our country,” he warned.

“Here we would see the immediate need for reforms. That’s why part of our primary priorities pushed at the Ledac is the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment or RICE Act to strengthen the NFA, take care of our farmers’ livelihood, and to ensure that rice remains affordable for every Filipino,” he added.

During the 19th Congress, a proposal to amend the RTL was approved on third reading by the House of Representatives.

House Bill (HB) No. 10381 was approved last May 2024, with 231 lawmakers voting in the affirmative, three in the negative, and one abstaining.

The House leadership believes that the bill can bring down rice prices by P10 to P15 per kilogram.

However, the bill faced opposition in the Senate amid fears that giving back some of NFA’s mandates might lead to corruption again.

According to Quezon 1st District Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, chair of the committee on agriculture and food, this would not happen as NFA will have a limited role in importation.

Published Date: October 6, 2025