DA hit for snail-paced release of Quick Response Fund for calamity victims

The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) P1-billion Quick Response Fund (QRF), ironically, was not paid out quickly in 2024, with its disbursement rate just hitting 41% despite the record-breaking typhoons that hit the country that year.

This was revealed during the House appropriations panel's Monday hearing on the DA’s proposed P134.9-billion budget for 2026, with House appropriations panel chairperson and Nueva Ecija Representative Mika Suansing pointing out that the 41% disbursement rate for the QRF is just slightly better than the DA’s obligation rate for QRF at 54%.

“Ang dami po kasing feedback from our colleagues here in the House na hindi naman ma-access [ng distrito namin] ‘yung QRF at all. Kahit lumapit na kami sa mga RD namin, sa central office, hindi po kami nabibigyan ng QRF. Definitely, nawawala ‘yung QRF. Hindi talaga 'quick,' kung ma-release man po at all,” Suansing said.

(We are getting a lot of feedback from our colleagues here in the House that the QRFs for their districts cannot be accessed at all. Even when they approach the regional districts or the central office, they are not getting the QRF. So definitely the QRF is nor available. Nor is it 'quick,' if it is even released at all.)

Suansing said given such low disbursement and obligation rate, the DA should revise its guidelines in releasing QRF because its delayed releases are defying its very purpose: to immediately aid communities in times of need, especially those devastated by the typhoons and floods.

“If I may request the Department of Agriculture to please revisit your policies with regard to the release of the QRF. Nakita po natin ang daming bagyo na dumaan sa bansa natin noong 2024. Ang dami pong mga nasira na mga palayan, ang dami pong mga nawala na mga livestock, livelihood. Kaya po medyo nagugulat na ako bakit roughly P540 million lang 'yung na-release out of the P1 billion ng QRF,” Suansing added.

(We saw how many storms the Philippines experienced in 2024. So many rice fields were damaged, a lot of livestock and livelihoods were lost. So I am quite surprised that roughly only P540 million has been released from the P1-billion QRF.)

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr., in response, said the agency strives to give out the QRF, which are used to purchase in kind goods and services, on time, but conceded that “there are delays due to procurement process.”

Suansing, however, said those devastated by the natural calamities cannot afford to wait for such delays.

She then cited that her home province of Nueva Ecija alone suffered from P1 billion worth of crop damage caused by the typhoons in 2024.

“Ang may nangyayari po, hindi na talaga siya naging quick response fund. Actually, hindi nga lang po hinahabol namin yung quick, hindi na talaga nare-release in most cases. May personal experience na rin po kasi ako dyan sa QRF na ‘yan, ni isang kusing walang nare-release sa QRF doon po sa distrito namin,” Suansing said.

(What happened is that it really was not a quick response fund. Actually we're not even going after the 'quick,' because in most cases it's not even released. I have had personal experience with that QRF; not one centavo of it was released to our district.)

“Ibig sabihin po, baka hindi natin natutugunan talaga ‘yung pangangailangan, ‘yung mga lugar, ‘yung mga magsasaka, ‘yung mga may livestock po na kailangan talaga ng QRF na ‘yun immediately, after the calamity. So, if we may please ask the assurance of the DA na silipin po yung guidelines ng QRF para siguraduhin na makatulong po dun sa mga natatamaan ng kalamidad,” she added.

(This means the need is not really being addressed—these farmers who really need the QRF immediately after the calamity. So, if we may please ask the assurance of the DA that it will look into the QRF guidelines to ensure that it will be able to help those affected by calamities.)

Tiu vowed to address the concerns raised by Suansing as soon as possible.

“Madam Chair, I will personally look into this immediately and we'll make sure na magamit na ito nang maayos at mabilis [that the QRF will be used properly and speedily],” Tiu added. — BM, GMA Integrated News