Cadiz city: State-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) announced the integration of online applications under the AGRISENSO Plus Lending Program, enabling farmers to apply for loans conveniently. The initiative aims to make agricultural financing more accessible to farmers.
According to Philippines News Agency, LandBank President and CEO Lynette Ortiz and Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led the program rollout on October 30 at the Cadiz City Arena. The event was attended by more than 1,700 farmers from Cadiz and neighboring towns in Negros Occidental.
Developed in partnership with the DA, Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and private sector partners, the program is a value chain-based financing initiative. It provides comprehensive support to agricultural stakeholders with simplified documentary requirements, free life and credit life insurance, and expanded access to technical and market support to help boost productivity and profitability.
The program offers a reduced fixed interest rate of 3 percent per annum, down from 4 percent, for small farmers, fishers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). It also provides competitive rates for associations, cooperatives, micro, small, and medium enterprises, large enterprises, anchor firms, and agriculture graduates.
LandBank reported that as of August 2025, PHP1.78 billion in loans had been released under the AGRISENSO Plus lending program, supporting over 12,000 borrowers nationwide. The rollout in Negros Occidental follows successful launches in regions such as Pampanga, Cagayan, Isabela, Batanes, Bukidnon, Iloilo, and Palawan.
Ortiz noted the challenges faced by farmers, including the recent eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, climate change impacts, unstable farmgate prices, and market access issues. "This is why we designed AGRISENSO Plus to provide holistic and practical solutions to the challenges faced by our farmers and fisherfolk," Ortiz stated.
