The House Appropriation Committee on Thursday deferred the confirmation of the P60-billion 2018 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), as one lawmaker urged his colleagues to support the department’s original budget proposal of P220 billion.
During the budget briefing for the department, House Agriculture and Food Committee chair and ANAC-IP Party-list Representative Jose Panganiban Jr. said Congress should back the proposed budget of the DA.
From P220 billion, the Department of Budget and Management reduced it to P60 billion.
“I think the statement of the economic managers [ay] hindi na po tayo agriculture economy. Kaya siguro sa kanila, from P220 billion, okay lang na bawasan to P60 billion,” Panganiban said.
“Kaya Mr. Chair [Karlo Nograles], believing that the Congress still has the power of the purse, I am inclined na dapat suportahan natin ‘yung ni-request ni Mr. Secretary [Emmanuel Piñol] na budget na P220 billion,” he added.
Panganiban said that even if they discuss for days the budget of the DA, if it is still within P60 billion, it [will] not [be able to] support the proposed projects and programs of the department.
“With that statement Mr. Chair, with the indulgence of the Committee Secretary and the DA family, this representation is inclined to defer the consideration of the P60 billion budget ng DA para mapakita natin doon sa economic managers na kailangan dagdagan niyo,” he said.
“So Mr. Chair, with the indulgence of the Honorable Secretary, I move that we defer the consideration of the P60 billion budget of the DA and all its attached agencies,” he added.
In an interview with reporters, Piñol said he had mixed feelings with the deferment of their budget.
“Malungkot na masaya. Malungkot dahil na-defer but happy at the same time dahil nakita ko sa Kongreso na concerned sila sa agriculture,” he said.
“Well, ako naman hindi naman ako reklamador. Kung madadagdagan ang budget, I will be more effective, I think,” he added.
Piñol said the P220 billion budget is important for them to accomplish their projects for the next year, including easy-access financing for farmers, small irrigation projects, and the farm-to-market road program.
“Since there is this intervention from the congressmen who believe that the DA is not getting its right budget to be able to increase productivity in the countryside, then I will yield to the request of the Congress because after all they have the power of the purse,” he said. —KG/KVD, GMA News
(Photo credits: Philippine News Agency, John Pagaduan)
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