House panel OKs DA’s bid to restore P42B in its 2021 proposed budget
MANILA, Philippines — The House appropriations committee approved on Thursday a motion to restore P42 billion pesos in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) allocated budget for 2021.
During the House panel deliberations on DA’s proposed budget, Agriculture Secretary William Dar suggested that P42 billlion out of the DA’s P66 billion stimulus package be added to the department’s proposed budget.
The DA has proposed a P86.3 billion budget for 2021.
“Nakikita namin kung pwede lang, yung P42 billion out of the P66 billion ay ‘yun po ay pwede idagdag at hanapan natin ng pondo para magiging more than P100 billion yung budget natin next year,” he said.
(If it’s okay, the P42 billion out of the P66 billion will be added on top, and we will find additional allocation for it so our budget will be more than P100 billion next hear.
“That would be good enough to start yung (the) stimulating the agriculture sector to a growth pattern,” he added.
Magsasaka party-list Representative Argel Cabatbat then moved to support the the call of the agriculture secretary.
“Budgetan po natin ng malaki ang agriculture dahil pagka po yan ay binigyan natin ng malaking budget, may balik po n‘yan sa atin. Ako lang po ba naga-alala na hindi na po natin kayang pakainin yung ating sarili?” Cabatbat said.
(Let’s give a big budget to our agriculture because when that is allocated a big budget, because we would get something good out of it. Am I the only one who is worried that we can’t feed ourselves?)
“Sana po maunawaan ng ating kasamahan sa Kongreso na bigyan po natin ng malaking budget ang DA dahil kung hindi po uunlad ang ating bansa kung hindi po natin ma-revolutionize ang ating agriculture,”
(I hope our colleagues in the House would understand to give a big budget to the DA, because if our country will not prosper, then our agriculture won’t revolutionize.)
Cabatbat’s motion was then approved by the panel’s vice chairman and Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr.
The DA originally proposed a P284.4 billion budget for 2021 to be able to respond to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the Department of Budget and Management did not approve the agriculture department’s original proposal.
