By Manny Piñol
President Rody Duterte last night assured Filipino farmers and fishermen that Agriculture and Fisheries will be given a bigger budget share to be able to produce more food for a rapidly growing population.
During a full Cabinet meeting last night, the President asked the Department of Agriculture Secretary to submit a budget proposal “10 times bigger” than what it has now.
“Tell me how much you need and I will ask Sonny (Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez) to give you the money,” the President told me during the Cabinet meeting which lasted until 12 midnight.
During the meeting, the President emphasised the need for bigger support to Agriculture noting that the country’s population was increasing by about 2 million every year.
“Make use of every available area to grow food. You know how to do that,’ he said.
The President also said that there should be greater focus on agricultural infrastructure and asked the concerned departments to revisit the Roll-On, Roll-Off Program of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The RO-RO Program involved the establishment of ports which were inter-connected by a virtual sea highway using fast crafts and ferry.
The President also asked DA to focus on the farm-to-market food chain to ensure that farmers and fishermen are able to sell their produce at a fair price.
Over the last two years, Agriculture was given a measly share of the national budget with the DA getting less than 2% of the total budgetary pie.
In 2017, the National Food and Agriculture Council (NFAC), the advisory body of the Agriculture sector, endorsed a budget proposal of over P200-B for 2018.
The DA was only given P56-B for 2018.
Again, in 2018, the NFAC endorsed a budget of over P120-B but the DA only got P49-B which, added to the budget of newly transferred agencies like the National Food Authority (NFA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority, totaled P86-B.
The 86-B includes the unprogrammed funds of P10-B for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) and the P10-B from the Coco Levy Fund.
The President’s announcement of greater budgetary support to Agriculture came just in time as the DA starts its 3-day Internal Budget Hearing (IBH) today at the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) compound in Quezon City
All Regional Offices, Bureaus and Attached Agencies will be asked to submit their budget proposals for the year 2020.
With the President’s major policy pronouncement last night, the DA will adjust its budgetary proposals with corresponding targets to be achieved.
(Photos of President Duterte were taken during the Harvest Festival in Talavera, Nueva Ecija in 2017)
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