Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin described the more than P500-billion budget for the Department of Agriculture (DA) as a “dream,” saying the agency’s proposed budget had not been trimmed.

This followed Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr.’s inquiry about Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.’s claim that the DA’s proposed P500-billion budget was slashed to P200 billion, a reduction of over P300 billion.

“The proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture, including its attached agencies, was never slashed,” said Garin on Monday during deliberations on the proposed 2025 DA budget at the House of Representatives.

“The P518 billion is a wish list or the original proposal. However, as the budget process proceeds, all wish lists of agencies are scrutinized by the Cabinet and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), so much so that what was approved was the need of P200 billion,” she said.

She noted that the P200 billion was a 16.35-percent increase over the DA’s budget of P167 billion for 2024.

“P518.8 billion, to be exact, is the proposal. That means that is the dream that the DA wants, but what the DBM has given is P200.195 billion, which is actually an increase of 16.35 percent compared to the National Expenditure Program (NEP) of 2024. This means the department’s budget has been increased by P32.737 billion,” Garin said.

The lawmaker noted, however, that given the numerous needs of local farmers and fishermen, the budget allocation remains insufficient. However, she suggested that this could be increased by identifying unused funds from other agencies.

“It’s not dreaming. It’s an aspiration because [t]heir request is to have P518.8 billion; it is also the same as the request of various agencies, but there is this reality that we have to exist based on how much is in the coffers of our country. The NEP of 2024 is P167.4 billion, compared to 2025, which is P200.195 billion, an increase of P32.737 billion. However, clearly, a lot more can be added to this because this is based on the NEP,” she said.

Agri chief Laurel said in August the DBM only granted P200 billion of their request for P500 billion.

Rice yield increasing

Garin said local rice production is increasing. However, alongside this is the swelling of the population, resulting in increased demand for the staple grain.

“At this stage, we have been importing rice, vegetables and other commodities, and I believe there was a point when we were importing salt. Imagine the Philippines as an archipelagic country importing salt,” Bordado said.

“We agree we are importing rice. But if we look at the total picture, the production has also increased; unfortunately, the increase in population of 11.54 percent has contributed to an increase in demand,” Garin responded, noting that rice imports were at a maximum only 20 percent of local consumption.

“[T]he extent by which the DA family, especially the National Irrigation Administration and the other attached agencies, have been collaborating to look forward to a medium and long-term development plan so that our rice production will be self-sufficient, we will be approaching that aspect with an estimated target time of 2028,” she said.

Garin added that the current administration inherited the 27-year backlog of the agriculture sector.

“The way things are going, we are improving, and we intend to reach that point. However, admittedly, the challenges of climate change pull us back by a little percentage,” she said.