CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY —The Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao is providing fuel assistance and expanding food access programs as rising transport and farm input costs push inflation higher in the region

During the March 2026 Inflation Report virtual press conference on April 14, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-10 reported that inflation in Northern Mindanao rose to 4.6 percent in March 2026, up from the previous month and higher than the March 2025 record. Transport costs and inflation in food and non-alcoholic beverages drove the increase.

“The acceleration in the inflation of transport can be attributed to the acceleration of inflation in gasoline, with 28.7% inflation, and diesel, with 66.4% inflation,” said PSA-10 Regional Director Janith Aves.

Aves added that the rise in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices was driven by cereals and cereal products, which registered 6.1% inflation, with rice as the main contributor; vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses, which posted 3% inflation, with tomatoes as the major contributor; and fish and other seafood, which recorded 7.3% inflation, led by fresh sardines.

In response, the Department of Agriculture (DA)-10 said it continues to distribute fuel subsidies to farmers and fishers to help manage production and transport expenses.

Rechelle B. Lacorte, Agriculturist II of DA-10, said farmers using machinery must be registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture and listed in systems that cover ownership of agricultural equipment to qualify for assistance.

“Ang DA nagapadayon sa paghatag og fuel assistance sa atong mga mag-uuma sa rehiyon nga nagagamit og makinarya. Aron makaangkon sa tabang pinansyal, ang mga mag-uuma kinahanglan nga nakarehistro sa Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture for our farmers and generally own machinery. For our fisherfolk, kailangang rehistrado sa fisherfolk registration system sa BFAR,” Lacorte said.

(The DA continues to provide fuel assistance to our farmers in the region who use machinery. To receive financial assistance, farmers must be registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture and generally must own machinery. For our fisherfolk, they must be registered in the fisherfolk registration system of the BFAR.)

She added that beneficiaries must also be registered under the Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering Management Information System and present valid identification cards.

Under the program, farmers using functional machinery such as tractors may receive up to P5,000, while fishers with motorized bancas may receive P3,000.

Lacorte said some farmers who have yet to receive assistance for 2023 and 2024 will be issued Intervention Monitoring Cards, allowing them to claim P3,000. Additional beneficiaries will receive P5,000 for 2025, while validation of qualified recipients for 2026 is ongoing.

The DA-10 has also expanded Kadiwa ng Pangulo sites across provinces in the region, increasing the number of outlets where producers can sell goods directly to consumers. The sites link farmers and fisherfolk to buyers and offer agricultural products such as rice, vegetables, and fish at monitored prices.

Moreover, the agency has reactivated backyard gardening in urban areas, encouraging households and communities to grow food in available spaces.

Patrick Elim, Marketing Specialist III of DA-10, said rising costs of farm inputs also contribute to higher prices of agricultural commodities.

He said the cost of fertilizers, particularly urea, affects production expenses, influencing the pricing of agricultural products in the market. He added that dependence on imported inputs exposes the sector to price fluctuations.

“Dili lang transportation ang cause sa pagtaas sa agri commodities, including na ang farm inputs, which are majority ani kay fertilizers, especially right now nga we are using nitrogen-based fertilizer, which is ang urea, and mostly ang atong urea is imported,” he said.

(Transportation is not the only cause of the increase in agricultural commodities; farm inputs are also included, the majority of which are fertilizers—especially now that we are using nitrogen-based fertilizer, which is urea, and most of our urea is imported.)

Elim said the DA is targeting a gradual shift from urea to organic fertilizers, aiming for up to 80 percent adoption to reduce dependence on imports. (ADS/PIA-10)