Farmer incomes vital for food security, says Speaker Dy

Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said that “food security begins with farmer security,” emphasizing that improving farmers’ incomes is key to a stable food supply. The message was conveyed during a meeting of farmers’ and irrigators’ associations for the Sagip Saka Program held at Rangie’s Villa in San Miguel, Bulacan. Dy reiterated the House of Representatives’ strong support for stronger farmers’ and irrigators’ associations and the Sagip Saka Program. He stressed the importance of ensuring that farmers have reliable markets for their produce alongside improvements in agricultural productivity. “A farmer may have good land, sufficient water, and a good harvest, but if that farmer cannot find a fair and reliable market, his earnings will still be insufficient,” Dy stated. “And this is where Sagip Saka becomes especially important. The program helps bring government and institutional buyers closer to our farmers and their organizations. It gives farmers an opportunity to become not simply producers, but stronger participants in the agricultural value chain.” Citing figures from the Department of Agriculture, Dy mentioned that 13,656 registered enterprises were involved in the implementation of the Sagip Saka Act, with procurement awards reaching ₱2.92 billion. However, Dy expressed a desire to do more, stating, “Our objective is not just better productivity; our goal is better incomes for our farmers.” Agriculture holds a special significance for Dy, a former governor of Isabela, one of the country’s major agricultural provinces. Upon assuming the House leadership, one of the first groups he invited to his office was a delegation of farmers to hear their experiences, needs, and proposals firsthand. Dy highlighted that the House takes agricultural spending seriously because it impacts not only food production but also jobs, livelihoods, and food prices. The proposed 2027 budget for the Department of Agriculture and its attached corporations stands at approximately ₱198.4 billion, covering programs for production, farm mechanization, post-harvest facilities, market access, crop protection, and livestock development. “The House will make sure that every peso allocated for agriculture will be used properly and will result in concrete benefits for our farmers,” Dy pledged. “We want agricultural spending to be felt not only in reports and statistics, but in higher yields, lower production costs, better market access, and larger incomes for farming families.” He also emphasized the importance of irrigators’ associations, noting that as of the end of 2025, only 2.2 million hectares out of an estimated 3.13 million hectares of irrigable land were being served by irrigation systems. Dy believes that strong farmers’ and irrigators’ organizations are crucial for the success of Sagip Saka, as “organized farmers have a stronger voice, greater bargaining power, better access to government support, and more opportunities to sell directly to buyers.” “We want to reduce the distance between the farm and the market. And ultimately, we want farming to become a profitable and sustainable livelihood,” Dy concluded.