President Marcos unveils DA’s Agri-Puhunan Program, targeting 1.2 million hectares with low-cost credit and market support

GUIMBA, Nueva Ecija—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, September 13, launched a Department of Agriculture program aimed at assisting rice farmer-members of agricultural cooperatives across 1.2 million hectares nationwide. The program targets increasing their productivity and income by providing low-cost credit, financial assistance, and a ready market for their harvests. For the dry cropping season (2024-2025), it aims to offer credit facilities to 50,000 hectares of rice farmers and cooperatives, starting with established cooperatives under the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (UPRIIS), Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIIS), and NIA systems serving the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

During the launch of the Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid (APP) program, President Marcos informed around 5,000 farmers gathered in this rapidly developing agricultural town of Guimba, Nueva Ecija that the DA and DBP have secured the initial PHP 3.0 billion funding to provide a combination of low-interest loans and subsistence allowances for farmers.

Secretary Tiu Laurel said the APP program aligns with the Marcos administration’s goal to make farming more bankable, attract more and bigger investments, nurture a new generation of farmers by uplifting their living conditions , and ensure national food security and sustainability in the Philippines.

“We will provide our farmers with the financial resources needed to pursue their vocation. This initiative will extend credit to farmers for seeds and other inputs, crop insurance, subsistence allowance until harvest, and ensure a ready market with the National Food Authority and the Department of Social Welfare and Development for a predetermined volume and income,” said the DA chief.

The DA has signed agreements with Planters Products Inc. and the Development Bank of the Philippines to facilitate the seamless implementation of this program and anticipates that other government agencies will follow suit to improve the lives of those dependent on agriculture.

“We envision this program as a self-sustaining initiative that will finally unlock the