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The Commission on Audit flagged the Department of Agriculture regional office in Bicol for failing to distribute agricultural inputs to farmers affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine and other storms.
The Commission on Audit has flagged the Department of Agriculture after its Regional Field Office in the Bicol Region failed to distribute agricultural inputs to beneficiaries affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine and other storms. In its 2025 annual audit report, COA said a review of the DA quick response fund showed the regional office failed to distribute the inputs on time. The inputs were intended for beneficiaries under the Rice, Corn and High Value Crops Programs.
Audit Findings on Undistributed Farm Inputs
The audit body said that despite the procurement and delivery of various agricultural inputs, most items remained undistributed as of year-end.
Several items had already been delivered to the regional office or were slated for delivery and distribution, yet they reflected zero physical accomplishment. COA said this indicated delays in the actual distribution to intended beneficiaries.
The quick response fund was intended to address the effects of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine and Typhoon Pepito in 2024, as well as Tropical Depression Crising.
COA said that despite the lapse of several months and the prior identification of affected beneficiaries, a significant portion of inputs remained undistributed as of year-end, indicating undue delays.
Delayed Distribution Defeats Quick Response Fund
COA noted that one of the reasons cited by the regional office for the delayed distribution was its attempt to align the distribution of the inputs with planting schedules, among other factors.
However, the audit body said this reasoning defeated the purpose of the quick response fund. It said the delay in distribution to aid farmers after a calamity is not aligned with the very concept of the fund, which is to help normalize a community situation after a disaster by providing immediate assistance to those affected.
The intended beneficiaries were farmers under the Rice, Corn and High Value Crops Programs, who were previously identified after the storms struck.
Undistributed Rice and Corn Program Inputs
Among the agricultural inputs that the regional office failed to distribute under the rice program were 15,000 bags of hybrid palay seeds. Also undistributed were 45,000 liters of inorganic foliar fertilizer and 15,000 packs of inorganic foliar fertilizer.
Under the corn program, the regional office also failed to distribute 1,710 liters of herbicide, 1,710 kilograms of complete fertilizer and 1,140 liters of pesticide, among other inputs.
The audit report covered the year 2025 and examined how the quick response fund was used to respond to the calamities that hit the country in late 2024.
Storm Damage and Agricultural Losses
Severe Tropical Storm Kristine brought torrential rains and widespread flooding to parts of the Philippines in October 2024. Emergency responders and local residents worked together to clear massive debris and mud following landslides triggered by the storm.
The successive storms that hit the country in late 2024 also caused billions of pesos in agricultural damage and losses. The delayed distribution of seeds, fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide added to the challenges faced by affected farmers.
The audit report recommended that the agency address the delays to ensure that immediate assistance reaches affected communities in a timely manner.
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