Para Maliwanag! Move To Revive FTI Began As Early As 2015

My interview with DZRH yesterday where I stressed the need to correct the country’s food marketing system through the revival of the Food Terminal Inc. earned critical comments from less-informed netizens.
“Bakit hindi mo ginawa noong ikaw ang Agriculture Secretary?”
Ang sagot:
Actually, in 2018, I worked on it but the program to revive FTI was shelved when I resigned from the DA in 2019.
Even earlier than that, the idea of correcting the Food Marketing System through the revival of the FTI was one of the subjects I extensively discussed in my book “Feeding Millions” published in Aug. 2015.
Para lalong maintindihan, pag-assume ko as Agriculture Secretary, there were four Agriculture Agencies which were not under the DA but under the Office of the President.
The National Food Authority (NFA) which is the Mother Agency of FTI, along with the Phil. Coconut Authority (PCA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA), were placed under the OPAFSAM during the term of President Aquino;
In spite of that, the DA started the advocacy to link farmers and consumers directly through the DA TienDA Project which brought farm products to the urban centers.
It was a proof of concept which was continued even after I moved to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) through MinDA Tienda.
In late 2018, following an artificial rice shortage designed to justify the RTL, President Duterte finally decided to transfer back NFA (FTI), PCA and FPA to the DA under me.
That was when the work to revive FTI officially started.
Here are the timelines:
– Sept. 2018, over 2 years after I was appointed DA Secretary, the FTI, along with its mother agency, was transferred back to the DA from the Office of the President.
– Dec. 2018 to Jan. 2019, DA and FTI conducted series of planning sessions for the revival of FTI. On Jan. 19, 2019, a formal announcement was made following the formulation of an action plan with a recommended funding that FTI will be revived;
– June 2019 – Following my public disagreements with the Economic Managers over the Rice Tariffication Law, I resigned as Secretary of Agriculture and moved to the Mindanao Development Authority.
Thereafter, the move to revive the FTI was shelved and forgotten.
My advocacy to fix the antiquated and oppressive food marketing system continues even as a farmer and private citizen.
Doon sa mga nagtatanong bakit daw ako ngayon nagsasalita?
Tinawagan ako ng DZRH requesting for an interview that is why I am talking.
May interview ba na hand signals ang sagot sa mga tanong? 😅
#ThisIsProofOfPassionVision!
(These photos taken in Jan. 2019 by Angel Laurilla show me with FTI officials led by Gen. Raymundo Ferrer poring over a development map for the remaining 25 hectares of the FTI Property in Taguig.)