BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) National Corn Program conducted its Year-end Assessment and FY 2026 Planning Workshop last February 3-7 in Baguio City.
The event aimed to strengthen the country’s corn sector and ensure food security. It covered key presentations on validation results, budget guidelines, and strategic plans.
The conference commenced with an overview of the results of its 2024 validation for the National Corn Program while laying out strategic plans for 2026-2028. These initiatives aim to improve productivity, resilience, and mechanization within the corn sector.
Lorna A. Villegas, Chief of the Field Programs Coordination and Monitoring Division, shared findings on how well the DA’s programs worked. The report showed that 95% of beneficiaries received assistance, with 92% making use of it.
However, some problems were noted, including delays in distribution, pest outbreaks, and issues in the Operations Management Information System and the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture. While farmers were mostly satisfied, they raised concerns about the quality and timing of inputs.
Meanwhile, Milo D. Delos Reyes, Program Director of the National Corn Program, detailed the strategic initiatives planned for the coming years. These initiatives are aligned with the department’s thrust to enhance the accessibility of high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and other agricultural inputs while expanding irrigation projects to support corn production.
Key strategies to achieve set goals include scaling up balanced fertilization programs and the use of cost-effective enhancers, strengthening collaborations with research institutions to develop high-yielding varieties, disease-resistant corn varieties, expanding mechanization through the distribution of modern farming equipment and postharvest facilities, increasing farmer training to promote modern agricultural practices and efficient crop management, and encouraging diversification and clustering of corn and cassava production to create sustainable agribusiness models.
Additionally, the department established goals to raise the national combined corn yield from 3.31 metric tons (mt) per hectare (ha) in 2024 to 4.15 mt/ha by 2028; yellow corn yield from 4.21 mt/ha in 2024 to 5.49 mt/ha by 2028; white corn yield from 1.96 mt/ha in 2024 to 2.35 mt/ha by 2028; and cassava yield from 11.22 mt/ha in 2024 to 12.79 mt/ha in 2028.
The Regional Field Offices also presented their FY 2026-2028 Plan & Budget Proposal. Dominga Magnanang-Malid-eng, of DA-CAR, reported that the overall proposal for the region amounts to PhP590 million. She emphasized an increment of PhP323.989 million for FY 2026 121% higher than the current fiscal year’s allocation.
The proposed budget aims to improve productivity by intensifying agricultural input distribution, reduce postharvest losses through investments in mechanical dryers and storage facilities, increase mechanization rates in key corn-producing areas, and strengthen climate-resilient farming techniques to mitigate the impact of typhoons and droughts. DA-CAR also plans to enhance farmer capacity-building initiatives to ensure that technological advancements are effectively adopted at the grassroots level.
With these strategies and financial commitments, the DA is positive to transform the corn industry into a more resilient and competitive sector. By using modern technology, improving mechanization, and providing better support for farmers, the department hopes to ensure sustainable growth in corn production. By Alyssa Dawn Alalag
