Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan announced Tuesday, March 31, that the AGRI-AGRA Team has formed a dedicated task force to monitor the Middle East crisis and shield the country’s food security and agriculture sector from its effects.
The team brings together the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), legislators from both chambers, and local government units (LGUs) to coordinate a unified response.
Pangilinan, who also serves as chairman of the Senate agriculture committee, disclosed that a “bayanihan-type” supplemental budget — patterned after emergency spending laws passed during the Covid-19 pandemic — is being proposed to fund rapid interventions for affected sectors.
The senator warned that the crisis is hitting the food sector hard, noting that fuel costs account for 80% of fisheries production expenses, while fertilizer and feed prices have also surged alongside petroleum.
“Lahat yan ibig sabihin ay may direktang epekto sa pagtaas ng presyo ng pagkain,” he said, stressing the need for additional budget support for farmers, fisherfolk, and other vulnerable sectors.
The AGRI-AGRA Team’s Tuesday meeting covered the status of key commodities including rice, pork, chicken, eggs, sugar, onion, and fisheries, as well as concerns over debt moratoriums, biofuels, and warehouse congestion.
Pangilinan also put traders on notice, warning that those caught selling overpriced goods amid the crisis may face profiteering charges, with the DA and DTI actively monitoring market prices.
The meeting was attended by DA Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, DAR Secretary Conrad Estrella, and House committee chairpersons overseeing agriculture, agrarian reform, and food security.
Beyond the task force, Pangilinan has separately pushed for expanded fuel subsidies for farmers and fisherfolk and the suspension of fuel excise taxes for the duration of the conflict.
He is also advancing longer-term legislative measures including the renationalization of agricultural extension services, the strengthening of agriculture cooperatives, and the creation of the Congressional Commission on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Security.
