- Marcos doubles down on agricultural modernisation in latest state address
- Government rolls out $1.9m farm aid package in Davao de Oro
- Mechanisation drive accelerates with over 1,700 machines delivered
During the latest State of the Nation Address (SONA) Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reaffirmed that agriculture remains at the centre of his administration’s agenda.
“We are strengthening our agricultural system to guarantee our food supply and lower its price for everyone.”
Commenting on the president’s speech, agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. expressed his confidence that the administration will continue to put agriculture at the forefront of the agenda.
“The president has consistently increased the Department of Agriculture’s budget because he understands that decades of underinvestment cannot be reversed overnight. The foundation for a modern, competitive, and resilient agriculture sector is now being built, and our goal is to transform farmers and fisherfolk into successful agripreneurs.”
He added that many of the administration’s agricultural projects, from mega cold storage facilities to rice processing systems to farm-to-market roads, are already under construction and are expected to become “game changers”.
Delivering aid to farmers
Shortly after Marcos’ speech, more than PHP115m ($1.9m) worth of agricultural assistance was unveiled in Davao de Oro.
The entire package consisted of a rice combine harvester, a four-wheel tractor, four motorised fishing boats, 15,000 tilapia fingerlings, 24,359 bags of certified inbred rice seeds, hybrid rice seeds, fertilizers, inputs for corn production, HDPE pipes for vegetable farming, and assistance under the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! program.
“The interventions will benefit rice and corn farmers, irrigators’ associations, registered fisherfolk, and farmers throughout Davao de Oro listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture,” said Tiu Laurel.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said this assistance package reflected its “push to modernise Philippine agriculture through mechanisation, improved seeds, fisheries support, and better access to production inputs.”
It added that it reflected the seriousness of the Marcos administration to “follow through on the agricultural priorities”.
Accelerating mechanisation
Before this, the DA announced that the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanisation (PhilMech) has been accelerating the farm modernisation program during the first half of 2026.
As of June 30, PhilMech had delivered 1,731 units of machinery, or nearly 76 percent of the 2,289 units procured under the 2025 allocation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
The rollout benefited 1,238 farmers’ cooperatives, associations and local government units.
“Every machine we deploy helps farmers produce more with less,” said PhilMech Executive Director Dionisio G. Alvindia.
“Mechanisation lowers labour costs, speeds up critical farm operations and minimizes losses from planting to postharvest. These improvements translate directly into higher productivity, better grain quality and increased incomes for our rice farmers.”
Tiu Laurel added: “We are building an integrated system that enables farmers to harvest more efficiently, dry and mill their palay properly, reduce waste and earn more from every crop.”
“Mechanisation is also becoming increasingly important as our farming population ages. Modern equipment allows our farmers to continue cultivating their land with less physical strain while helping address labour shortages during planting and harvest.”
