MANILA — Only a small portion of the country’s farmers and fisherfolk will receive fuel subsidies under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) P150-million program amid rising fuel prices caused by the Middle East oil crisis.

In a report, DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said that the funds, sourced entirely from unspent 2025 budget allocations, will be split equally between farmers and fisherfolk, providing P5,000 to farmers who own or rent fuel-powered machinery and P3,000 to fisherfolk with boats of three gross tons or less.

“The 2026 national budget contains no line item for agricultural fuel subsidies,” De Mesa said. “This is a continuing fund. Unless additional funding is given to our department, we can only reach a limited number of beneficiaries.”

The subsidies are loaded onto Interventions Monitoring Cards, debit-style cards usable only at gas stations, and distribution has already started for fisherfolk in Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, and Pampanga. Farmers are set to receive theirs in the first week of April.

Fishing group Pamalakaya criticized the program as “slow” and “inadequate,” noting that production costs for fishing trips have increased by as much as 60 percent, making P3,000 barely enough to cover three days of fuel.

De Mesa said the DA is prioritizing beneficiaries from poorer municipalities and those registered under the DA’s databases from previous aid rounds in 2022–2024.

A larger relief program, the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk, will cover around 4.1 million beneficiaries with an initial payout of roughly P2,350 each, drawn from a separate P10-billion fund in the DA’s 2026 budget. Distribution will begin after Holy Week.

The DA also flagged a looming fertilizer problem, with prices climbing from P1,500 to as high as P2,200 per bag. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has started talks with Chinese and Russian embassies to secure alternative sources, while promoting biofertilizers and other non-fuel-based solutions to mitigate rising production costs.