Delon Porcalla – The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — At least one million rice farmers will get P7,000 each next year as earmarked by the Marcos administration in the P6.973-trillion national budget for 2026, Speaker Faustino Dy III said yesterday.

“Aid is ensured for our farmers. The P7,000 cash aid will be given to them to address their losses due to low farmgate prices of palay,” Dy said during the joint hearing of the House of Representatives committees on agriculture and food and on ways and means. “Cash incentives like this give farmers a direct benefit, which they can use in farming.”

He noted that many farmers in his home province of Isabela sell palay for as low as P8 per kilo, far below the P16 to P18 needed to recover production costs.

“If the farmers are not earning anything, then this is a threat to our food security,” he said.

Published Date: October 7, 2025