A year after SONA 2025: Have Marcos' agricultural promises borne fruit?

During his 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. highlighted agricultural development as among his administration's top priorities and even brought to light his campaign promise of bringing down the retail price of rice to P20 per kilo.

“Sa mga nagtatanong kung ‘nasaan na ang bente pesos na bigas?’ Ito ang aking tugon.
Napatunayan na natin na kaya na natin ang bente pesos sa bawat kilo ng bigas, nang hindi malulugi ang ating mga magsasaka,” Marcos said in his SONA last year.

(To those asking, 'Where is the P20-per-kilo rice? Here is my reply. We have proven that we can do P20 rice without our farmers getting shortchanged.)

“At dahil sa ilalaan nating isandaan at labintatlong bilyong piso upang palakasin ang mga programa ng DA, ilulunsad na natin ito sa buong bansa sa pamamagitan ng daan-daang KADIWA store at center sa iba't ibang lokal na pamahalaan,” the President said.

(And because of the P113 billion we have allocated to strengthen the Department of Agriculture's programs, we will launch this nationwide through our hundreds of Kadiwa stores and centers in different local governments.)

On Wednesday, the DA said that the government has generated P2.4 billion in sales since it launched the P20 per kilo rice initiative in May last year.

“In just over a year, the program generated P2.4 billion in sales after distributing 121,271 metric tons of rice to an estimated 12.1 million beneficiaries, underscoring the strong demand for affordable staple food amid elevated living costs,” the DA said.

The P20 per kilo rice initiative provides subsidized rice to vulnerable sectors, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, minimum wage earners, public transport workers, indigents, and registered farmers and fisherfolk.

There are currently 805 active Benteng Bigas selling sites nationwide, including 295 with regular selling schedules.

Tackling pork prices

Marcos also touched on the issue of high pork prices as a result of declining production amid the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.

“Bilang pangunahing solusyon sa mataas na presyo ng baboy, pinalalakas natin ang ating lokal na produksyon. Namimigay tayo ng mga biik at inahin. Nagpapatayo rin tayo ng mga biosecure facilities. Upang lubos na pababain ang presyo ng karne, nagsimula nang magbakuna laban sa ASF, at palalawigin pa natin ito ng pagbabakuna sa lahat,” he said in his SONA last year.

(As the primary solution to high pork prices, we have strengthened our local production. We have distributed piglets and sows. We have also put up biosecure facilities. In order to bring down pork prices further, wee have also started vaccinating hogs against ASF, and we will expand this program.)

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), however, showed that livestock production in 2025 declined by 2.2% to 2.13 million metric tons, largely due to drop in hog production by 2.7% year-on-year.

In January to March 2026, hog production slipped to its lowest level since 1994 at 8.7 million heads, down from 8.84 million heads year-on-year.

PSA data, meanwhile, showed that the average retail price of fresh pork kasim stand at P339.43 per kilo as of early July, down from P374.89 per kilo in the same period in 2025.

ASF vaccination, on the other hand, is not yet approved for commercial sale in the country and is currently under a controlled rollout and monitored distribution pending final commercial licensing from the Bureau of Animal Industry.

Slight improvement in coconut production

In his SONA last year, Marcos said he would ask Congress to amend the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act to make it more responsive to the needs of farmers and boost exports.

“Milyon-milyong Pilipino ang umaasa sa puno ng niyog bilang pangunahing kabuhayan. Mula ngayong taon, hindi bababa sa labing-limang milyong hybrid at mataas na klaseng mga binhi ng niyog ang ating itatanim sa iba't ibang panig ng Pilipinas. At itutuloy natin ito hanggang isandaang milyong puno na ng niyog ang ating maitatanim sa buong Pilipinas,” Marcos said.

(Millions of Filipinos rely on coconut trees as their primary source of livelihood. Starting this year, we will plant no fewer than 15 million hybrid and high-quality coconut seedlings across the country. And we will continue this until we reach 100 million coconut trees planted throughout the Philippines.)

Data from the PSA as of end 2025 showed coconut production reached 14.506 million metric tons, slightly higher than 14.5 million MT in 2024.

The proposed amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act are still pending in both chambers of Congress at committee level.

Sector’s 'wishlist'

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) executive director Jayson Cainglet, in a statement sent to GMA News Online, said the group recognizes and supports the efforts of the current DA.

"Years of neglect have left Philippine agriculture with enormous challenges, and rebuilding the sector is no small task," Cainglet said.

The SINAG executive director, however, pointed out that efforts are being undermined by the continued push to further liberalize agricultural trade through lower tariffs and greater importation.

"Let us finally debunk the myth. More imports do not automatically translate into lower retail prices. Years of experience have shown that import dependence has failed to deliver lasting price stability. Instead, it has weakened local production, discouraged investment in agriculture, and made the country increasingly vulnerable to global supply disruptions and international price shocks," Cainglet said.

"A nation that cannot produce its own food cannot achieve genuine food security. The future of Philippine agriculture depends on restoring confidence in our farmers, protecting local production, and ensuring that imports complement—rather than replace—our own capacity to feed the nation," the SINAG official said.

Cainglet said SINAG is calling for the immediate restoration of the original tariff schedules for rice, corn, pork, chicken, and other essential agricultural commodities as well the establishment of fully equipped First Border Inspection and Quarantine Facilities at all major ports to ensure 100% inspection of all imported agricultural products.

Meanwhile, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) president Danilo Fausto said the group is pushing for “transparency in the process of adjusting tariffs.”

"The Tariff Commission must publish its findings of facts so that there is confidence that the tariff adjustments are based on data and not on ideological or doctrinal biases," Fausto said.

The PCAFI chief also called for strengthening the agricultural export development office of the DA "including budget appropriation and scaled-up organizational structure to increase its capacity to expand agricultural product exports."

DA budget for 2027

To continue the government’s efforts for the drive the country’s farm sector, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA is seeking a P250-billion budget for 2027, higher than this year’s P215-billion allocation.

Tiu Laurel said next year’s funding is supporting farm mechanization, irrigation, research laboratories, hatcheries, cold-chain facilities, digital infrastructure and post-harvest systems designed to improve productivity while reducing losses and food costs.

“Investment is where reform begins… It buys tractors instead of excuses, it builds irrigation instead of promises,” the Agriculture chief said at a forum organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP).

Tiu Laurel said that the expanded Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, funded at P30 billion annually, will continue to support for machinery, certified seeds, solar irrigation, cash assistance, production inputs, and affordable credit.

The Marcos administration also increased funding to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. by P2 billion this year, and may approve an additional for 2027 to cover more farmers and fisherfolk.

The Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act is likewise channeling P20 billion annually to rebuild the livestock sector, particularly the hog industry devastated by African swine fever.

The Agriculture chief noted that investments are beginning to yield results as agriculture and fisheries expanded 2.6% in 2025, their fastest growth in eight years, while gross value added rose 3.1% despite erratic weather and lingering animal diseases. — BM/ VDV, GMA News