Pangilinan bats for higher agri budget in 2021

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Tuesday said the agriculture sector needs more budget in 2021 as he underscored the necessity for food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A former presidential adviser on food security and agriculture modernization and a farmer, Pangilinan lamented how the proposed budget for the Department of Agriculture dwindled to P66.38 billion from the original P284.4 billion request of the agency.

He pointed out that this is even lower compared to the P79.9 billion DA budget under the 2020 General Appropriations Act.

"The P66.382 billion represents not even 2% of the Administration’s P4.5-trillion budget submitted to Congress to deliberation. Taon-taon na lang na ganito ang sistema: Bakit palaging hindi prayoridad ang agrikultura?" Pangilinan said.

"Naging malinaw nitong nakaraang mga quarantine na agrikultura pa rin ang magsasalba sa Pilipinas. Dahil sa mga quarantine, nakita ang pangangailangan sa isang maunlad na sektor ng agrikultura upang tugunan ang demand sa pagkain lalo na ngayong milyong-milyon sa ating mga kababayan ang nagugutom at nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pandemya," he added.

Based on the National Expenditures Program for 2021, the DA budget ranks 8th in allocation.

The education sector got the lion's share with P754.4 billion, followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways with P667.3 billion, and the Department of the Interior and Local Governments with P246.1 billion.

The opposition senator also questioned why the Department of Health (DOH) "took a backseat" in the proposed national budget for 2021 when the country is facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Maraming aral tayong nakuha mula sa pandemya pero bakit parang di tayo natuto? Hindi tapos ang problema natin sa pandemya dahil lamang magbabago ng taon, kaya bakit kahit pati ang DOH ay hindi binibigyang halaga?” Pangilinan asked.

"We will focus on these issues once the Senate starts its budget deliberations," he added.

In July, Pangilinan voted against the passage of the Bayanihan 2 bill as he stressed that he could not allow more funds flowing into the DOH without a change in leadership. The senator has been consistent with his call for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

The budget hearings in the Senate will start on Wednesday.—LDF, GMA News