Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking at tapping other fund sources for fuel subsidies for farmers and fisherfolk amid the Middle East conflict.
The agency said it has ₱100 million for the fuel subsidies for qualified beneficiaries to be distributed in the next two weeks, or ₱50 million for around 9,700 farmers and another ₱50 million for around 15,000 fisherfolk.
Farmers will receive ₱5,000, and ₱3,000 for fisherfolk to be topped off on their intervention monitoring cards to buy fuel in accredited stations. Fishers without the cards may receive the subsidy earlier through vouchers.
In a news briefing on Wednesday, March 11, Agriculture spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said the agency has requested the Budget Department for the immediate release of the ₱50 million for the fuel subsidy program.
The DA was previously told to exhaust the ₱100 million before requesting the balance.
De Mesa said other possible fund sources to augment fuel subsidies include the almost ₱100 million in unused funds from previous fuel subsidy programs still with the Development Bank of the Philippines.
“Imbis na ibalik sa Treasury ay pwede rin naming pag-aralan na i-retain sa DA para ma-release sa ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” De Mesa said.
[Translation: Instead of returning it to the National Treasury, we can study to retain the budget in the DA so that we can release it to our farmers and fisherfolk.]
De Mesa also said they are looking into the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk program, which has ₱10 billion in the current budget.
He said the program is a cash aid for the calamity and may only be released in the second or third quarter.
“We are already coordinating with the operations group on how this can be tapped kung talagang mapo-prolong itong problema sa Gitnang Silangan [if the Middle East conflict will be prolonged],” he told reporters.
De Mesa said the DA will prioritize qualified beneficiaries who have not yet received fuel subsidies in previous years, especially with the limited budget.
The Department of Energy announced on Monday that fuel companies will stagger the increases in oil prices this week.
This week’s adjustments for gasoline range from ₱7 to ₱13 per liter, ₱17.50 to ₱24.25 per liter for diesel, and ₱32 to ₱38.50 per liter for kerosene.
