President Rodrigo Duterte is expecting more efficient and closer coordination between agriculture-related departments amid the soaring prices of rice now that supervision of the National Food Authority (NFA) has been returned to the Department of Agriculture (DA), Malacañang said Thursday.
“We’re hoping that the NFA, Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and if I’m not mistaken the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), back under the DA (supervision), ay magkakaroon po ng closer coordination sa panig ng DA at ng mga ahensya na closely naman associated sa agriculture,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
“Inaasahan natin na mas magiging efficient ‘yung determination kung kailan kinakailangnang mag-angkat ng bigas dahil ang datos mismo ay hawak ng Department of Agriculture,” he added.
On Monday, Duterte signed Executive Order No. 62, returning the NFA, PCA, and FPA under the supervision of the DA.
READ: Duterte puts NFA supervision back to DA; reorganizes NFA Council
Roque then took a swipe at the administration of former President Benigno S. Aquino III, who transferred the supervision of NFA, PCA, FPA from the DA to the Office of the President.
“Dati naman po talagang itong tatlong ahensyang ito ay nasa ilalim ng Department of Agriculture e nahiwalay lang po ‘yan nung mga panahong kinakailangang bigyan ng trabaho si Senator (Francis) Pangilinan,” Roque said.
In 2014, Pangilinan was appointed as Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization – a Cabinet-level position under the Office of the President. /kga