Diverted flood control money to boost Agri dep’t 2026 budget

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will receive additional budget funding in 2026 that the government has decided to redirect from flood control.

In a statement, the DA quoted Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. that following a meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., he received word that the DA will receive some funds originally intended for flood control.

“Ico-confirm ko na — nadagdagan na ang ating 2026 budget. Pasalamat tayo sa Pangulong Marcos. Magagamit ito para sa ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda (I can confirm that there will be additional funding in 2026. Thanks to President Marcos, we can use these funds for the benefit of farmers and fisherfolk,” he said at the National Agri-Fishery Investment Forum, without providing details.

Many flood control projects are currently under investigation after many of them failed or were found to have been nonexistent after the heavy July flooding.

Mr. Laurel added that he met with governors to determine investment priorities.

“The governors ang nakakaalam kung anong kailangan ng probinsya and kaya nilang i-prioritize (It is the governors who can determine what each province’s priorities are),” he added.

Mr. Laurel said the Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-Up was designed to support these provincial priorities through investment in infrastructure, enterprise development, and capacity building. — Andre Christopher H. Alampay