Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III announced that one million rice farmers will each receive ₱7,000 cash aid under the 2026 national budget as part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s expanded support for the agriculture sector.
During a joint House hearing of the Committees on Agriculture and Food and on Ways and Means, Dy said the program will help farmers recover from losses caused by falling palay prices and supports Executive Order No. 93, which suspends rice importation to protect local producers.
“Ang pamamahagi ng cash aid ay nagpapakita ng determinasyon ni Pangulong Marcos na tugunan agad ang hirap ng mga magsasaka at isabay rito ang mga repormang pangmatagalan,” Dy said.
He also urged the government to provide all Department of Agriculture subsidies, including seed assistance, in cash for easier access.
Dy noted that some farmers in Isabela are forced to sell palay for as low as ₱8 per kilo, far below the ₱16 to ₱18 needed to recover production costs.
“Kapag palugi ang benta ng palay, hindi lang kabuhayan ng magsasaka ang nanganganib kundi pati ang seguridad sa pagkain ng buong bansa,” he said.
He also pushed for the passage of the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act, which seeks to restore the NFA’s power to buy palay, raise rice import tariffs to 35 percent, and establish a ₱25-per-kilo floor price to stabilize farmers’ income.
“Kailangang magkaisa tayo para sa ating mga magsasaka. Sa agarang suporta at pangmatagalang reporma, titiyakin nating may kinabukasan ang kanilang kabuhayan at may murang bigas ang bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” Dy said.