Benguet vegetable Trading Post fiasco TURNING AN P800-M WHITE ELEPHANT INTO A PROFITABLE TRADING CENTER

By Manny Piñol

For so long, as a local government executive, I have always been irritated by some officials in government who think that they alone know what is good for the Filipino people, especially those in the countryside.

Many programs and projects have been designed in the center of government and in the corridors of power by those who hold lofty academic credentials and experts in their fields, oftentimes without the benefit of consultation.

The result? An endless series of disasters.

Consider this.

In 2010, the Dept. of Agriculture started planning for the construction of a huge vegetable trading center in the compound of the Benguet State University (BSU) in La Trinidad, Benguet supposedly to “buy” the vegetables produced by the farmers of the Cordillera and free them from the clutches and control of financiers called “Disposers.”

This was done with nary a consultation with the vegetable farmers themselves and little coordination with the local political leaders.

The plan did not also consider the presence of the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post and failed to study the deep relationship between the vegetable farmers and the Disposers who finance not only vegetable production but literally provide for almost everything that the farmers need, including money for their children’s tuition fees.

Constructed at a cost of over P800-M, the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) opened December 2015 but until the time I first visited it in June of this year, there was none of the projected 1,500-metric tons supposed to be traded daily in the center.

Last Thursday, I went back to the BAPTC again to address a very serious problem – the P800-M facility planned to be the center of vegetable trading in the Cordillera was only receiving 40 tons of vegetables to be traded daily, a far cry from the target of 1,500 metric tons.

The earnings from the trading center was not even enough to pay for the salary of its workers and to cover water and power bills.

I convened the Project Steering Committee which the Dept. of Agriculture Secretary chairs with Benguet Cong. Ronald Cosalan, Gov. Cresencio Pacalso, La Trinidad Mayor Mayor Romeo Salda, DA Unsecretaries Evelyn Laviña and Ariel Cayanan, Director Roy Abaya, Director Lorenzo Caranguian of DA Cordillera and a farmers’ representative.

Reviewing the declared mandate, I immediately knew what was wrong with the BAPTC and why the farmers’ were not coming to the trading post to sell their vegetables.

The BAPTC mandate said the center will “buy” the farmers’ vegetables and reading it, I immediately pointed out to the members of the steering committee the following fatal flaws:

1. Government does not go into the business of buying farmers’ produce, especially such perishable items as vegetables and the mere mention of the word “buy” would necessarily be met with resistance by the Disposers who finance the farmers and the traders who bring the farmers’ produce to Metro Manila and other areas in the country;

2. The relationship between the farmers and their Disposers built over 20 years could not just be terminated by the establishment of a trading post;

3. The farmers were not consulted before the P800-M facility was planned, constructed and opened for trading.

4. Nobody knew who really owned the facility as there was no clear provision on whose property is it – BSU, the DA or the farmers.

5. There was nobody managing the center and it was temporarily supervised by the assistant regional director of DA Cordillera.

After summing up everything, the steering committee, on my suggestion, agreed to create a technical working group headed by USEC Cayanan, to include farmers and Disposers as members, to review and amend the mandate of the BAPTC.

The steering committee also agreed that a Chief Operating Officer (COO) should be appointed to manage the BAPTC.

I made one thing clear, however, and this was that BAPTC should not be involved in the buying of vegetables.

“Government should never be involved in business because it should only provide service and facilitate business,’ I told the the steering committee members.

The technical working group was given two weeks to finish its work and I will go back to Benguet again to ensure that BAPTC works and the farmers would come to the center to trade their vegetables.

So, you think that my problem with poorly planned government facilities is over?

Guess again.

On my way back to Manila from Apayao via Cagayan Valley Friday afternoon, I saw two more Agri-Pinoy Trading Center facilities in Isabela.

I saw carabaos resting in the first trading center and trucks and multi-cabs using the other as a shaded parking area.

There are 19 other similar trading centers built by the DA over the last few years in different parts of the country.

I wonder how many of these multi-million-peso facilities are really serving their purpose and really helping farmers earn more.

What a waste of government money and its all because some people think they are wiser and they know better than the farmers.

(Photos of BAPTC taken by Makiz Panagan.)