The Department of Agriculture (DA) brought nearly P41 million in agricultural support to farmers in this coastal town of Nasugbu, Batangas, combining production assistance with a major investment in solar-powered irrigation infrastructure.
The DA Regional Field Office IV-A (CALABARZON), together with its attached agencies, awarded and distributed various interventions to farmer-beneficiaries during an activity at the Looc I & II Covered Court in Barangay Looc.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the assistance spans key segments of Nasugbu’s farm economy, including rice, corn, high-value crops, coconut, mechanization and urban agriculture.
“The package of interventions covers programs supporting rice, corn, high-value crops, urban and peri-urban agriculture, farm mechanization, coconut production, and irrigation development.”
“The package of interventions amounts to P40.95 million and covers programs supporting rice, corn, high-value crops, urban and peri-urban agriculture, farm mechanization, coconut production, and irrigation development,” Tiu Laurel said.
The Rice Program accounts for P6.2 million, the biggest allocation among the production-focused programs. The Corn Program will receive P1.2 million, while P545,000 is earmarked under the High Value Crops Development Program.
Another P62,500 will support the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program. PhilMech will provide P2.1 million in assistance, while the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) will extend P1.1 million to coconut farmers.
The centerpiece of the investment is the P29.8-million Solar-Powered Irrigation System.
But the centerpiece of the investment is the P29.8-million Solar-Powered Irrigation System (SPIS), being implemented through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM).
The irrigation project adds a longer-term dimension to the government’s support package. By providing a more reliable water source for agricultural production, the SPIS is intended to help farmers manage production more efficiently while reducing reliance on conventional power sources for irrigation operations.
The combined interventions are expected to benefit farmers engaged in rice, corn, high-value crops and coconut production in Nasugbu. For beneficiaries, the assistance goes beyond inputs and equipment: it is intended to strengthen productive capacity and help sustain farm-based livelihoods.
Farmer-beneficiaries, DA personnel from the regional office, BSWM, PCA and PhilMech, along with representatives of the Nasugbu local government, attended the activity.
The initiative reflects the DA’s approach of pairing immediate production support with investments in agricultural infrastructure—addressing both farmers’ near-term needs and some of the structural constraints that can limit productivity.
For Nasugbu, the combination of nearly P41 million in interventions and a new solar-powered irrigation facility represents a substantial infusion of public investment into the local farm sector, with the potential to improve access to resources, strengthen production and support more resilient agricultural livelihoods.
