Lacson questions P5B Bayanihan 2 funds used for farm-to-market road projects

Sen. Panfilo Lacson (Voltaire F. Domingo/Screen grab)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson flagged the P5-billion funding used for farm-to-market road projects under the agriculture stimulus package of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or the Bayanihan 2, questioning the connection of such projects to the government response to the pandemic.

“We noticed releases under Bayanihan 2 focused on farm-to-market roads worth P5 billion. Can you explain the connection between these farm-to-market road releases and the government’s COVID response? Parang hindi ko ma-connect (I cannot seem to make the connection),” Lacson said during the plenary debates on the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday.

In response, Senator Cynthia Villar, who sponsored the DA’s budget, surmised it could be for improving logistics, which elicited laughter inside the Senate session hall.

“We laugh about this but this is no joking matter. This is the national budget of the Republic of the Philippines,” Lacson remarked.

Lacson further questioned the 17-percent increase in the DA’s funding for Agri-Machinery, Equipment, Facilities, and Infrastructure program from P11.3 billion to P13.32 billion.

He noted that the bulk of the increase went to farm-to-market roads, which increased from P4.98 billion under the National Expenditure Program submitted by the executive to Congress to P6.95 billion under the House version of the budget bill.

When asked about such increases, the DA denied being looped into the details of the projects.

This, Lacson stressed, is a “perennial problem” for agencies like the DA getting additional funds for projects like farm-to-market roads but not being consulted about them.

“There are other priorities when they prepare the budget to answer the budget call. They were tedious in preparing the budget,” the senator noted.

“Now, all of a sudden, at the snap of a finger, nawala ang budget, nalipat kung saan (with the funds being transferred elsewhere). This is a perennial problem,” he added.

Lacson, meanwhile, reiterated his call for proper funding for agriculture research and development, noting DA Secretary William Dar is also an advocate of research.

EDV