Villar quizzes DA for 'overlap' in nat'l rice program, RCEF projects

Senate Committee on Agriculture chairperson Cynthia Villar on Monday grilled the Department of Agriculture for the supposed overlap in projects under the National Rice Program and the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

During a Senate hearing on the DA's proposed P56.8-billion budget for 2021, Villar noticed what she called duplicity in the projects.

"Why do you have to provide for extension, support, education, and training when we gave a lot for that in the RCEF? I cannot understand. Why do you have to give there when we gave P1 billion for that in the RCEF? Why do you duplicate? This is the National Rice Program," she asked.

"Kung mayroon na sa RCEF, huwag niyo nang ulitin. Ibigay ninyo sa others na kulang. Magkano ginasta mo diyan sa training na 'yan at ano ginasta ng RCEF sa training? Nag-ooverlap tayo eh," she added.

Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan was not able to explain the supposed overlap during the hearing, as Villar's frustration led her to lament further on how the DA allegedly kept her out of the loop regarding the beneficiaries of the hybrid rice seeds.

"Ayaw ninyo ibigay sa akin ang listahan ng binibigyan ninyo sa akin ng hybrid seeds. Bakit ayaw ninyo ibigay? Para hatiin na lang natin yung 947 (rice producing towns). Ilan ang bibigyan ninyo ng hybrid at kami magbibigay ng inbred. Bakit ginugulo ninyo?" she said.

"Tapos sasabihin ninyo na kayo ay nag-ano na kayo ay walang korapsyon? Eh bakit ayaw kayo magbigay ng listahan kung walang korapsyon?" she added.

"Kasi may RCEF tayo eh, maliwanag doon, bibigyan niyo ng inbred seeds ang rice producing towns that the Senate has identified na 947 towns. Hinihiling ko lang sa inyo piliin niyo na 'yung may gusto ng hybrid at kunin niyo na 'yun para di na 'yun ang bibigyan ng inbred," Villar further said.

Cayanan said the list being requested by Villar was already submitted by the DA to the senator's office on September 24.

Villar stood firm that she has not received any. She later found out that the submitted list was only down to the provincial level, not on the municipal level.

"Ang binigay nila region eh! How will we distinguish kung alin ang inbred? I told you it's town. Ito ang ibinigay ng tao ninyo eh. Kaya hindi nila [staff] ibinigay sa akin kasi region," she said.

Cayanan apologized to the senator and assured her that the DA will be furnishing her with the list she was looking for.

Villar underscored that she needs that list to ensure that all the rice-producing towns in the country receive enough benefits based on their preference of seeds, and to validate if farmers indeed benefited from it.

Bayanihan 2

The senator also slammed the DA for allegedly not being able to prepare for Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 yet.

"Dun naman sa Bayanihan 2, 'di pa raw nila natatapos ang planning. Remember Bayanihan 2 is up to December 19 and hindi niyo pa rin alam saan dadalhin ang pera? December 19, that's two and a half months from now, tapos na 'yun," she said, noting that the questions she sent to the DA prior to the hearing were left unanswered.

During the earlier part of the hearing, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said that the DA is planning to use the P24 billion under Bayanihan 2 for "agri fishery enhancement projects, income enhancement projects, and social protection and amelioration projects."

"We are in the midst of finalizing the details of this P24 billion project allocation," he said. —KBK, GMA News