Amid the surging popularity of ube or purple yam in the international scene, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is looking to boost the funding for its local production under next year’s budget.
In a panel interview in Naga City over the weekend, the senator vowed to provide more support for the production of ube, a naturally sweet, starchy vegetable grown by Filipino farmers.
“So, now what we’re doing is we’re preparing for the next budget cycle and look into how we can provide additional funding for the high-value crops program but also focus this time on ube,” he said.
The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) high-value crop program provides essential support to localized farming sectors, having allocated ₱500 million for cacao and coffee in the 2026 budget.
Sharing his personal experience of planting 100 ube root crops on his farm, the senator emphasized the need for public-private partnerships because the crop takes a full year to grow and be ready for harvest.
As the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, the veteran lawmaker has a track record of saving zero-funded items, previously securing ₱500 million for Sagip Saka and ₱1 billion for the First Border Security Inspection.
Looking ahead to the 2027 budget debates, Pangilinan said his focus will be on boosting the budgets of the DA and its attached agencies to provide them the necessary tools to empower farmers and fisherfolk, strengthen the agriculture and fisheries sectors, and address current and looming challenges in the country’s food security.
He also hopes to bank on opportunities created by the global interest in the country’s high-value food products, such as ube and mango.
“We’ll figure out how to source the funds and make it happen,” he guaranteed.
According to reports, ube has transcended Filipino culture and entered mainstream consciousness as cafes and restaurants around the world hunt for the next viral food and drink.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that ube exports from the Philippines have risen in recent years, with the country shipping around $3.25 million, or nearly 1.7 million kilos, worth of ube in 2025 from $2.7 million in 2024.
But The Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center said in a research paper that ube production faces several challenges, including limited access to resources, pests and diseases, lack of mechanization, and predominance of small-scale farming systems.