The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is implementing a transformative multi-year budget planning process to maximize the impact of its limited resources on the livelihood of farmers and fisherfolk.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement on Wednesday the new initiative is part of a broader strategy to achieve more meaningful results to ensure that funds contribute directly to achieve long-term goals, such as poverty reduction, farmer welfare and sustainable economic growth.
According to the DA, a major development in the process is the introduction of a standardized set of criteria to evaluate programs, activities and projects.
Tiu Laurel said these criteria are designed to assess the impact of proposed initiatives on critical areas, such as poverty reduction, income improvement for farmers and fishers, enhanced nutrition and reducing dependency on food imports.
The DA said the program and budget evaluation will also focus on the cost efficiency, feasibility and the technical and absorptive capacity of implementing agencies.
The four-year framework, Para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas, will guide the department’s budget planning and strategic initiatives to create a more equitable environment for farmers, fishers and rural communities, the DA chief said.
“Through this initiative, we aim to maximize the benefits of our investments to ensure food security for the nation and uplift the lives of our rural heroes — our farmers and fisherfolk,” Tiu Laurel said.
The DA’s budget this year amounts to P200.9 billion, down by 5.7 percent from its P213 billion allocation in 2024 and lower by 59.8 percent than its proposed P500 billion budget for 2025.
