Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s call to tap the P30‑billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) gains urgency in Sarangani, where at least 4,000 farmers in Alabel town are struggling with crop damage caused by extreme heat.
Escudero has earlier urged the national government to consider mobilizing RCEF, which was created under Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, to support farmers facing rainfall deficits, rising fuel costs, and the expected onset of El Niño by June.
He noted that the fund includes a P15‑billion allocation for “Other Priority Programs, Activities and Projects” that may be redirected to interventions that can help strengthen productivity and supply resiliency.
“Isa pang puwedeng makatulong sa ating mga magsasaka ay ‘yung portion ng P30 billion mula sa rice competitiveness enhancement program, specifically the P15 billion for other priority programs,” he said.
The veteran lawmaker added that this P15‑billion component may be tapped to support irrigation projects, which could supplement existing funding from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA), particularly in provinces where extreme heat has begun drying up farmlands.
In Sarangani, local officials reported that stunted banana plants, barely surviving corn, and cattle struggling to find grass are among the visible effects of the prolonged heat.
Based on the initial assessment of the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist, the extreme heat has affected no less than 6,000 hectares of farmland, impacting families engaged in planting corn, vegetables, bananas, rice, and high‑value crops such as abaca. Weeks without rain have led to crop mortality in both lowland and upland areas.
With extreme heat already damaging crops in Sarangani and El Niño expected to intensify conditions in the coming months, Escudero said government interventions must be “forward‑looking” to help farmers mitigate production losses and maintain supply stability.