Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go urges sustained support as the Department of Agriculture (DA) warned that the country’s rice production can decline by 700,000 metric tons in 2026 due to El Nino.
The DA said the projected loss is around 3.5 percent of the annual production target, raising concerns over food security, rural income, crop supply, and inflation.
“We need to take care of our farmers and fisherfolk because they are the ones who provide food for our tables. When they are affected, every Filipino family feels the impact as well,” Go said in Filipino.
The senator has consistently pushed for policies aimed at strengthening the agriculture sector and improving national food security. Go also co-authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which condones loans, including interest, penalties, and surcharges, of agrarian reform beneficiaries to help ease their financial burdens.
Additionally, Go filed Senate Bill No. 680, or the proposed Post-Harvest Facilities in Every Agricultural Municipality Act, which seeks to mandate the construction of warehouses and rice mills in rice-producing areas through the collaboration of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the DA, and farmer cooperatives, among other initiatives.
Go also asserted that these measures must be complemented by accessible support mechanisms for affected agricultural workers, particularly those in rice-producing areas and rural municipalities that face greater exposure to drought, production losses, and rising input costs.
“We must address the effects of El Niño before they worsen. We should not wait for our fellow Filipinos to suffer before taking action,” Go added.
The senator underscored that the agriculture sector needs continued financial, infrastructure, and institutional support as climate-related threats place additional pressure on communities already dealing with high production costs and unstable weather conditions.
“During severe droughts, our farmers’ livelihoods are among the first to be affected. That is why we must help them recover and continue their work—for the sake of their families and to ensure food security for the entire nation,” Go added.
The DA noted that ongoing measures are also being taken, including cloud seeding to increase rainfall, deployment of solar-powered irrigation systems, adjustments to the planting calendar to align with the northeast monsoon, and crop modification programs to help stabilize farmers' income, an effort to aid farmers against the effects of El Nino.