In the Philippines, agricultural leaders have offered measured praise for President Marcos' farm support initiatives while sounding a deeper alarm about whether the nation's strained finances can sustain what has been promised. The tension between generous policy gestures and fiscal reality is an old one in developing economies, but here it carries particular weight: rice is not merely a commodity but the foundation of food security for millions. Industry voices are not asking the government to turn back, but to go further—with money, with transparency, and with the wisdom to protect domestic