Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said increasing funding for the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s digital agriculture program in the proposed 2026 national budget could help prevent corruption, including the emergence of “ghost farmers” and questionable projects, similar to issues flagged in recent flood-control infrastructure spending.
A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) claimed that bridging the digital divide can empower Filipino farmers and modernize the agricultural sector. However, digital agriculture also presents the risk of exacerbating the “digital divide”, potentially leaving vulnerable rural populations further behind.
