1 million farmers to get P7K cash aid each under 2026 budget —Speaker Dy

One million rice farmers will each receive a P7,000 cash aid under the proposed P6.7 trillion budget for 2026, Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said on Monday. 

Dy made the announcement during the joint hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food chaired by Quezon 1st District Representative Mark Enverga and the Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Marikina City 2nd District Representative Miro Quimbo.

“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. 

Dy said the move will complement Executive Order No. 93 which temporarily suspends rice importation to protect local producers from oversupply and low prices.

"This cash aid shows that the government is determined to aid our farmers and pursue long-term reforms," Dy added.

Aside from cash aid, the Speaker said they asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that all subsidies from the Department of Agriculture such as seed subsidy be given in cash as well to farmers to further alleviate their plight. 

Dy said 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," Dy said. —KG, GMA Integrated News