The review will determine whether the Department of Agriculture (DA) should continue the program, particularly the upgrading of small ruminants project based at the Pangasinan Research and Experiment Center in Sual, Pangasinan, according to a DA news release.

Tiu Laurel said the assessment will look at both the program’s technical viability and the resources required to sustain it.

The Commission on Audit (COA), in its 2024 annual audit report on the DA, noted that 52 of the 101 Anglo Nubian and Saanen goats purchased for the project had died. The animals were intended to serve as breeder stock for high-quality ruminants, but COA attributed the deaths to inadequate feeding and nutrition.

COA also acknowledged the DA’s explanation that funding gaps were being addressed. According to the audit, allocations for goat feed were included in the 2025 budget under the National Livestock Program, with sufficient feed inventory now available at the station. Additional funds for animal care and maintenance have likewise been identified and incorporated into the DA’s 2026 budget proposal.

However, DA records indicate that beyond basic feed and veterinary needs, no adequate funding was set aside during the previous administration to expand or sustain the goat production initiative. Under then Agriculture Secretary William Dar, the program moved forward without the long-term budget support needed to keep the breeding operation viable.

Tiu Laurel said the review will guide whether the DA revives the program, scales it down, or ends it altogether. In the meantime, the agency plans to distribute the remaining Anglo Nubian and Saanen goats to farmers in storm-battered Catanduanes, where livestock losses have compounded the impact of recent typhoons.

The DA also intends to temporarily repurpose the 140-hectare Pangasinan facility for high-value crops production and innovation hub while decisions on the breeding program are finalized. This is envisioned to institutionalize a transformative public-private-community engagement process with transparent and inclusive business model aimed to increase local food production with value-added products and services to boost rural agro-industrial development.

The episode underscores a broader challenge facing the DA of inherited projects with lofty goals but thin funding. As the review unfolds, the DA appears poised to draw a clearer line between ambition and sustainability to ensure that future programs are backed not just by vision, but by resources to keep them alive.

“SMEs form the backbone of our economy and supporting them helps contribute to overall economic growth,” said Jeffrey Navarro, Visa Country Manager for the Philippines, said at a media roundtable Tuesday.

Small businesses power much of the Philippine economy—making up 99% of all businesses and giving jobs to two out of three workers, said Gareth Jon Parrington, head of Commercial Money Movement for the South East Asia region at Visa, during the same roundtable.

But, Parrington noted, many of them still can’t get the money they need to grow. And Visa, the company that helps people pay and get paid safely, wants to fix that.

In a study, the credit-card giant found that most small businesses don’t get enough support from banks. In fact, they receive less than 10% of business loans.

Many run into problems with cash, expensive card machines, and hard-to-follow bank rules. Nearly half say they’re worried about running out of money, and one-third worry about fraud when accepting cards.

Parrington said that small businesses around the world are short by over $5 trillion in loans every year. In the Philippines, small businesses need $221 billion, but only $15 billion is available to them.

He said many of these businesses don’t have complete paperwork, credit histories, or training in managing money, making it even harder to get bank support.

Women who run small businesses face more struggles—like unfair lending rules and fewer property rights, which limits their ability to use land or houses as loan security. They also have to juggle home and work responsibilities.

But there’s good news: Visa’s research shows that using digital payments helps small businesses grow. In the Philippines, 51% of women-led businesses and 56% of micro-businesses said they earned more after using digital tools to receive payments.

To help more small businesses succeed, Visa set up a $100-million support program through the Visa Foundation. This has already helped nearly 30 million businesses in Asia Pacific, including 10.9 million run by women.

Visa also teaches business owners how to manage money better through its Practical Business Skills program, which includes lessons on budgeting, planning, and using digital payments.

Recently, Visa partnered with CIMB Bank Philippines to launch a special Visa Business Debit Card just for small business owners. This card links to a savings account with high interest, zero fees, free money transfers, insurance deals, and even a credit line they can use to grow their business.

“We continue to work with local partners to bring financial products and solutions responsive to their unique needs, and we share the government’s vision to help SMEs unlock their full potential through innovation and resilience,” said Navarro.

To help more Filipino small business owners grow and succeed, Visa is also working on new partnerships with three more banks, which will be completed later this year. Veronica Uy