Manila: Farmers and fishers will begin to receive fuel subsidies in March, the Department of Agriculture (DA) assured on Wednesday. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has earlier approved PHP150 million for the government’s fuel subsidy program for the agriculture sector, with PHP100 million already disbursed to the DA and is ready for distribution. Of the said fund, PHP50 million is allocated for farmers, while the other PHP50 million is for fishers.
According to Philippines News Agency, in a press conference, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa stated that the two implementing agencies, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), will begin the distribution in the coming weeks. “On the advice of the BFAR, next week they can already start the release of the voucher. And then the remaining 95 percent in cards. In the next two weeks, they will release that part,” he said.
Each eligible fisher will receive PHP3,000 in fuel subsidy from BFAR. For farmers, the BAFE also provided a similar commitment. “In the next two weeks, mag-start na rin sila ng release noong PHP5,000 sa mga farmers na registered sa Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) at nagmamayari o nagrerenta ng mga makinarya na gagamitin,” De Mesa said.
He added that the DA will also request the immediate release of the remaining PHP50 million from the DBM instead of waiting for the PHP100 million-on-hand to be fully exhausted. Once downloaded to the DA, the number of qualified beneficiaries will rise to almost 15,000 farmers and 23,800 fishers nationwide.
The DA is also exploring other sources to further increase the number of beneficiaries. “Mayroon kaming nakikita pa na possible na pondo na mga previously released din sa fuel subsidy na hindi pa nagamit na nasa Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) ngayon,” De Mesa mentioned. The DA has almost PHP100 million unused fuel subsidy fund from 2023 to 2025.
“Instead na ibalik sa Treasury ay pwede rin naming pag-aralan na i-retain sa DA para ma-release din sa ating mga mangingisda at magsasaka,” he said. Meanwhile, the DA is still considering options for intervention in logistics to prevent extreme spikes in prices of agricultural commodities in local markets due to rising fuel costs. These include the provision of trucks, as well as possible consultations with toll companies and trucking stakeholders to aid in the movement of food.
To date, De Mesa indicated that they have monitored at least a 10 percent increase in prices of select meat and fish products.