APPROVED. Agriculture Secretary William Dar announces the approval of additional funds for food mobilization and fuel subsidy in an online media briefing on Tuesday (March 8, 2022). He said President Rodrigo Duterte approved his proposal to cushion the possible economic effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. (Screengrab) MANILA - To cushion the economic blow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendations of Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar on additional subsidies for food security and fuel. "The original presentation was only budgeted with PHP12 billion but the President increased it and now we have PHP24 billion. He said it is important to find more funds. especially for fertilizer [subsidy]," Dar said in a virtual briefer on Tuesday. Fertilizer subsidy, in Dar's initial presentation, almost made up the proposed PHP12 billion, including PHP1 billion for food mobilization that will cover fuel subsidy for farmers and fishers to be released between March and April. The DA implemented the voucher system for fertilizer subsidy early last year. Dar said even if the Philippines does not directly import from Russia and Ukraine, the global supply of fertilizer supplement urea will decrease by at least 22 percent. "Thereis also the logistics factor. Global trade is avoiding the route of the two countries so production is more expensive because it takes longer to reach us," he said. In an earlier report, DA's fertilizer and pesticide chief, Wilfredo Roldan, said negotiations with China, another huge supplier of fertilizer, were being conducted to meet the country's requirement. (PNA) }