Cynthia Villar warns DA over 'Department of Importation' tag

Senator Cynthia Villar on Wednesday told the officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the agency is being tagged as "Department of Importation" due to lack of developmental programs for local farmers and continuous reliance on importation.

The senator expressed disappointment anew on the DA's importation policy during the Senate agriculture, food and agrarian reform hearing on he bill pushing for the development of the corn industry in the country.

"Ang inyong mandate is to have a developmental program that will produce enough supply for the Philippines at a competitive price. ‘Yun ang mandate ninyo. Hindi niyo mandate na kung may gustong mag-import, eh bigyan  niyo ng import permit. That’s not your mandate," she said.

"Pag ganon ang inyong mandate e tatawagin nga kayo na Department of Importation. Di kayo Department of Agriculture. 'Yan ang tawag sa inyo e," she added.

Villar made the remark as she presented the Philippine Statistics Authority's data on corn's supply and demand from 2019 to 2022.

She said that the country has been importing yellow corn and feed wheat from 2019 until 2022 and there had been a surplus on these products except in 2022.

"Our aim is to produce corn so we don't have to import and we produce it at a price na competitive. 'Yun ang intention nitong bill na to," Villar said.

"Sana malagay sa isip ng ating Department of Agriculture na towards the long term, we will always aim that we produce what we need, dapat supply is equal demand. In the meantime na hindi natin nagagawa yun, we will import but that is a temporary solution. Bear it in mind kasi yon ang ginagawa niyong permanent solution tapos hindi kayo nagkakaroon ng any developmental activity. Mali yon," she said.

The lawmaker reminded the DA that its mandate is to ensure the livelihood of the local farmers and not the importers.

"Clear ba yon sa atin na hindi niyo trabaho na buhayin ang importer. Ang trabaho niyo buhayin ninyo ang local farmers. That is the role of the Department of Agriculture. Sana tandaan niyo yon kasi yung mga sinasagot niyo sa akin e iba e," she said.

"Sinasabi niyo sa akin na wala kayong pakialam sa demand and supply at kung sino ang gustong mag-import bibigyan niyo ng import permit. Ngayon lang ako nakadinig ng ganyan," she added, apparently referring to Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Paul Limson's remark last Monday, saying the government had "no direct control" on the volume and the frequency of importation of livestock products into the country.

During the hearing, DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the agency supports Senate Bill 120, which seeks to develop and promote yellow corn industry to enhance the availability of affordable and quality feeds and to provide for a corn competitiveness enhancement fund.

"These objectives are in congruence with the goals and objectives of the National Corn Program also published under the Philippine Yellow Corn Industry Development Roadmap for Fiscal Year 2021 to 2040," he said.

The DA suggested the inclusion of a provision on price support to corn farmers to address the issue of low farm gate prices especially during harvest season.

Asked what problems the corn industry is currently facing, De Mesa said the lack of harvest facilities and low annual budget as the government had focused on rice production in the previous years.

In the last 10 years, De Mesa said that the corn industry has been allotted around P1 billion but it was hiked to more than P5 billion for 2023.

De Mesa said the P5 billion allocated to the corn industry for 2023 will be used for the production support for seeds, fertilizers and irrigation.

Villar, who has been sponsoring the budget of the DA over the years, said she doesn't agree that they have no budget for the corn industry.

"Masyado kasing demanding kayo e tapos kung saan-saan niyo lang naman dinadala ang pera e. Ako, I never agree that you don't have the budget. Yung budget, it depends upon how you use the budget kahit kalaki-laki ng budget mo, kung saan saan mo lang dinadala, wala ring use yung budget," Villar said.

Meanwhile, the Senate panel has formed a technical working group to finalize the Senate bill on the condonation of agrarian debts.

In his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos asked Congress to pass a law that will amend Section 26 of Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1998.

The President said this law will emancipate the agrarian reform beneficiaries from the debt burden.—LDF, GMA Integrated News