Cynthia Villar scolds BAI chief over livestock importation policy

Senator Cynthia Villar scolded Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Paul Limson after Limson testified that the government had "no direct control" on the volume and the frequency of importation of livestock products into the country.

During a Monday Senate hearing, Villar presented figures showing that in 2022, the country's demand for pork was at 1,733,385 kilograms while the supply was estimated at 1,605,733.33.

Despite the narrow gap between the estimated supply and the demand, Villar's data showed that the country still imported an estimated 724,532.727 kilograms of pork.

"Ito total demand is 1.7 [million] tapos local production is ganoon din... ang laki ng import. Bakit ganoon?" Villar asked.

Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) Representative Nicanor Briones, who attended the hearing, was similarly perplexed by the importation.

"Alam niyo nung December 31 kung ilan ang nasa cold storage? Mga nasa 110 million kilograms. So ibig sabihin nag-import ng sobra," Briones said.

Villar then asked Limson about the importation policy of the bureau. The BAI chief said that the bureau had no control over the importation of pork.

"Madam chair, 'yung importation kasi ang client po ang nagla-lodge. So wala po kaming direct control kung gaano karami o gaano po ka-frequent," Limson said.

Villar said the policy was illogical.

"Ngayon ko lang nalaman na pag pala gusto nila mag-import kahit na sobra ang local production, pwede mag-import," Villar said.

"Sino nagturo sa'yo na basta mag-iimport kung may gusto mag-import. Wala kang pakialam? Mag-iissue ka ng import permit? Sino nagturo niyan sa'yo?" she asked.

Limson, who was designated to head the BAI last October 2022, said the policy had been in place when he was appointed.

"Inabot ko na lang po ang sistema na yan," Limson explained.

Limson then attempted to mention a World Trade Organization policy, but the senator continued to criticize the BAI chief over the importation rule.

"Alam mo ang buhay natin, common sense lang ang buhay natin. May doctorate degree ka, wala kang common sense?" Villar said.

"Kukunin mo ang supply, kukunin mo ang demand, kung kulang mag-iimport ka, kung sobra hindi ka na mag-iimport... Hindi common sense sa iyo 'yon? May doctorate degree ka, hindi common sense sa iyo yon? Miski ano pa ang policy ng WTO or what, eh Pilipino tayo eh. Mahal natin ang kapwa Pilipino natin. Ibig sabihin gagawin niyo yan para kumita kayo? Ano ba yan?" she said.

Villar said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. needed to appoint DA officials who looked out for the interests of local farmers as local agriculture would depend on their policies.

"Kaya nga ang sinasabi ko pag mag-aappoint tayo, i-appoint natin yung may heart sa farmer kasi sasabihin mo sa akin wala kang control sa importation, kahit ilan ang gusto nilang importin? Paano ang gagawin mo dun sa ating local farmer pag pinaghirap mo ang local farmer natin, hindi na sila magpo-produce? Eh 'di wala na tayong agricultural production. Pag nagka-shortage sa buong mundo, saan tayo kukuha ng pagkain? 'Di naman always available yang import na yan e," she said.

"Bakit mo tinanggap ang posisyon hindi mo pala mahal ang livestock industry ng Pilipinas?" she went on.

United Broilers Raisers Association President Elias Jose Inciong tried to come to Limson's defense, explaining that the BAI chief was new to the post.

Inciong said DA Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and Regulations Mercedita Sombilla should be the one asked about the importation rule.

"In fairness to him, bukod sa bago, ang dapat kausapin niyo dyan si Usec Sombilla. Siya ang policy and planning. Pag siya ang kausap niyo, mas masaya," Inciong said.

Sombilla was not present at the Senate hearing.

Sector allocation

Meanwhile, Villar was also dismayed by the way the Department of Agriculture budget was allocated to the different sectors.

She said that the livestock industry needed to get a larger share of the DA's budget as it produces more than the fisheries sector.

"The livestock and pork industry, they contribute 30 percent [of supply] but they get three percent of the budget while fisheries contribute 15 percent but they get more-- double the budget, around P6 billion while the livestock industry gets P3 billion. I don't understand that," she said.

"For me it depends upon your production--your share of the budget. Kaya I cannot understand that, why the DA is doing that," she added.

Villar also said the Philippine Carabao Center and the National Dairy Authority should do some "soul searching" as dairy production in the country remained at less than one percent of the demand.

"There are two agencies in charge of dairy-- the Philippine Carabao Center which was established in 1993 and the National Dairy Authority which was established in 1995. I guess from the people from NDA and the PCC you have to work double time because you cannot justify your offices with that kind of production, one percent of demand," Villar said.

"Kaya maybe we should do some soul-searching din dito sa PCC and the NDA," she added. — DVM, GMA Integrated News