Sayang Ang Pera! Absence Of Program Continuity Curse On Philippine Agriculture

Yesterday, I visited a Solar-Powered Irrigation System Project in Bagadion, Libmanan which was constructed in 2018 during my stint as Secretary of Agriculture.

The Bagadion SPIS was one of the estimated 200 units of SPIS funded by the DA in 2018 after I introduced the program as a banner project of the Agricuture Department.

The Bagadio SPIS was working perfectly but it was not able to cover the hectararage it was supposed to serve, about 50 hectares, because of a simple engineering design flaw.

Hindi masyado mataas ang reservoir kaya hindi malakas ang labas ng tubig sa mga tubo at hindi inabot ng tubig ang ibang mga areas.

It was a simple problem which could have easily been remedied but the DA had not even looked into the performance of the projects it had provided the farmers.

Ito talaga ang sakit ng ating governance sa Pilipinas. Maski gaano pa kaganda ang project kung ginawa ito nang nakaraang pinuno ay binabalewala.

Our governance is replete with examples of projects abandoned because these were identified by the previous mayor, governor or Secretary.

Isa na dyan yong naikasa ko na P40-B loan from the Israeli Government to finance the establishment of modern SPIS to irrigate 500,000 hectares in three years.

Over two years since Israel said it was willing to grant the Philippines a loan, the documents needed to be accomplished to access the loan are stalled somewhere in the bureaucratic maze.

So, yesterday, I made a promise to the farmer of Bagadion na babalik ako, kung may awa ang Diyos na magtatagumpay ako sa Mayo 2022, upang sigurohin na ang mga proyekto ng gobyerno at inaayos at pinapangalagaan.

Meron din tayong puedeng pag-aralan na modelo to ensure the sustainabiity and continuity of projects and this is the Farm Act of the US which sets programs with corresponding funds for 10 years or so at hindi maaring baguhin.

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!

#CommitmentOfTheFarmboy!

(This video presentation was prepared by the Media Team of the Biyaheng Bukid.)