Senator Bong Go, vice-chair of the Senate Finance Committee and member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture expressed his support for the Department of Agrarian Reform's budget for the fiscal year 2024, particularly its programs that can help marginalized farmers.

The support was officially noted on record by Senator Cynthia Villar in a Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing held on Thursday, 19 October.

Reiterating his advocacy, Go emphasized the government's responsibility towards prioritizing the welfare of the underprivileged especially in rural areas.

"Unahin natin ang mga mahihirap. Ibigay natin sa mga mahihirap ang lupa na dapat sa kanila at suportahan natin sila upang maging produktibo sila sa kanilang kabuhayan," Go said.

The senator reflected on the agrarian reform accomplishments during former president Rodrigo Duterte's tenure, where a substantial number of hectares of land were distributed to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program through the Certificate of Land Ownership Awards distribution.

Go has been supportive of legislative efforts aimed at bolstering the agricultural sector. One of his significant contributions is the co-authorship of Republic Act No. 11901, which expanded the agriculture, fisheries, and rural development financing system.

This law, according to Go, will provide rural communities, especially farmers, fisherfolk, and agri-based workers, with better access to credit, thereby enhancing their welfare, competitiveness, and productivity.

In addition to this, Go highlighted the importance of RA 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. He took great pride in co-sponsoring and co-authoring the measure, marking a significant step towards empowering agrarian reform beneficiaries and fostering their economic independence, thereby steering towards enhanced food security.

In his quest to provide needed support to the agricultural sector, Go has also filed SBN 2117 and SBN 2118. These bills aim to provide full crop insurance coverage for agrarian reform beneficiaries and improve insurance coverage and services to farmers, respectively, helping to mitigate the impact of natural disasters on the agricultural sector, if enacted into law.

Moreover, in light of the recently ratified Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, Go underscored the importance of enhancing competitiveness and protecting local farmers and industries. He believes that the open competition resulting from RCEP should lead to a decrease in the prices of goods, benefiting ordinary Filipinos, particularly those in the agricultural sector.

"Napaka-importante na walang magutom. Sikapin nating bigyan ng karampatang suporta at proteksyon ang ating mga maliliit na magsasaka na kumakayod araw-araw para masigurong may pagkain sa hapag-kainan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino," ended Go.