By Manny Piñol
The most frustrating part of governance is when you know there is a problem and you have identified the solution to the problem but you could not implement the solution because of bureaucratic knots.
Since I assumed office as Secretary of Agriculture, officials of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) have been saying that the fishing industry loses 40% of the fish and aqua products harvested because of the lack of ice making machines in many of the country’s fishing grounds.
The other problem is the lack of the appropriate transport facilities to bring the catch to the market which is usually hundreds of kilometers away from the fishing grounds.
I have seen this problematic situation myself in my journeys all over the country, from Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat to Infanta, Quezon; from Mindoro to Tawitawi; and lately in Mapanas, Northern Samar and Tarangnan, Eastern Samar.
It has been two years since we all identified these problems and yet nothing seems to be moving.
The reason being offered by BFAR is that post-harvest faciltiies are supposed be under the domain of the Philippine Fish Ports Development Authority.
The problem is the PFDA cannot seem to get the budget for these items.
I have always believed in the saying: “Kung ayaw, maraming dahilan; Kung gusto, maraming paraan.”
Roughly translated to English, it simply means: “There is a lot of reason not to do something you are not interested of doing in the first place but there is a lot of way in accomplishing a difficult task if you really wish to get it done.”
Through the help of the financing experts of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), we were able to design a loaning program which would address the problem.
Instead of waiting for the funding which may never come at all, the ACPC deigned an Equipment and Machinery Loaning Program where farmers or fishermen’s gorups could borrow money to buy tractors, harvesters, refrigerated trucks or even ice making facilities.
It is being offered at 2% interest per year, payable in 8 years without collateral. The loan, however, will be automatically covered by insurance provided by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation.
There are many suppliers for farm machinery and equipment but for fisheries post-harvest facilities, we seem to have a problem identifying suppliers.
So, let me put this notice publicly:
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is inviting suppliers of ice-making equipment, including cold storage facilities, and refrigerated transport equipment.
If you have these items, please submit your proposals and price quotations to the Office of the Secretary so our technical people could evaluate these and in turn show these to the stakeholders for them to pick their choice.
Once the stakeholders have made their choice, the DA-ACPC will grant them a loan enough to cover the cost of the machinery and equipment.
Please submit your offers and costing to Bong Piñol, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Secretary.
(Photos of the ice slurry making machine and the refrigerated vans were downloaded from public websites.)
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