• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negrense farmers and fisherfolk are set to receive financial and fuel assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA) as they continue to bear the brunt of rising fuel prices brought about by the worsening armed conflict in the Middle East.
Engr. Jose Albert Barrogo, DA regional director for Negros Island Region, said Friday, March 27, that financial aid will be extended to farmers owning up to two hectares of land, while fuel assistance will be provided to those with farm equipment.
Although the exact amount has yet to be finalized, Barrogo recalled that farmers received P7,000 each in financial aid last year.
For fuel assistance, the DA–Western Visayas office has remaining slots for Negros Occidental, where 736 farmers are expected to receive P5,000 each.
For the 2026 fuel subsidy, Barrogo said they are still validating the list of recipients and awaiting the budget from the DA central office.
The DA is preparing to tap its P1-billion Quick Response Fund (QRF) to shield farmers and fisherfolk from the impact of surging fuel prices.
Traditionally used for calamity response, the QRF will now be utilized following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s declaration of a state of national energy emergency.
“Maybe we will request a fuel subsidy for motorized fisherfolk and small commercial fishing vessels. For farmers, biofertilizer,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa also said that P500 million is being eyed for biofertilizer procurement.
Data from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) show urea-prilled prices ranging from P1,653.82 to P2,065.88 per 50-kilo bag, averaging P1,813.14. Urea-granular is priced at P1,806.67 per 50-kilo bag, while complete (14-14-14) fertilizer costs P1,696.94.
Despite stable fertilizer inventory, De Mesa said the DA is intensifying government-to-government collaboration to diversify sources and secure buffer stocks for the next cropping season.
Earlier, the DA announced the release of P10 billion under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fishers (PAFF) starting April 6.
About 4.175 million registered farmers and fishers nationwide will receive P2,325 each. Of these, 2.197 million are rice farmers, 1.475 million are corn producers, more than 102,000 are sugar farmers, and about 399,000 are fisherfolk.
The DA also has a P150-million approved budget for its fuel subsidy program, granting P5,000 to eligible farmers and P3,000 to fisherfolk.
The agency is eyeing nearly P100 million in unused fuel subsidy funds from 2023 to 2025 to expand coverage. | GB with PNA report
