The Department of Agriculture has laid out a ₱61.99-billion consolidated action plan to shield food output and rural livelihoods from El Niño, even as ₱371 million in needed interventions—including cloud seeding and sugarcane pest control—still lacks funding. About ₱6.2 billion is already available under the UPLIFT Program, and officials stress that timely financing and execution will be key to minimizing losses.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the DA to submit a full accounting of cloud seeding activities and explore importing drought-resistant rice seeds from India, to help farmers plant in water-scarce areas if found feasible. He also directed tighter daily market and price monitoring for farm and fishery goods to stop price manipulation and profiteering, alongside a regular hourly public information drive explaining government help and how people can access it. A prioritized list of vulnerable beneficiaries will ensure aid goes quickly to those most in need, while all agencies must practice water and energy savings and advance procurement or realign budgets where rules allow. Additional support includes existing social protection schemes, cash-for-work projects, and new livelihood programs for fisherfolk. For consumers, these steps aim to keep food supplies steady, prevent unreasonable price hikes, and ensure assistance reaches families and communities facing the hardest conditions.
