Villar wants database for agri sector checked amid ‘politicizing’

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Cynthia Villar sounded the alarm on Thursday about reports that “local agriculturists” have taken over the task of listing down beneficiaries for the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).

Speaking at a Senate hearing, Villar said there are speculations that the Department of Agriculture is no longer in charge of listing down RSBSA beneficiaries, as the task seemed to have been passed onto somebody else.

“Can we check this? Kasi may mga chismis na ang pinagagawa niyo ng list ay ‘yung mga local agriculturists ng mga local government — [ang] niliista nila ay yung mga lider nila sa politika, hindi yung mga farmers na owning 2 hectares and below,” said Villar.

(Can we check this? There are rumors that the people making the list are the local agriculturists of the local governments; they are listing their political leaders, not the farmers who own 2 hectares and below.)

“Kaya we have to check this. Kasi may suggestion na na dapat yung nag [aasikaso] dyan ay hindi na local government kasi napo-politicize. Dapat manggagaling na sa Department of Agriculture para talagang ‘yung [may] two hectares and below,” she added.

(So we have to check this. There is a suggestion that it shouldn’t be the local government attending to the list because it is being politicized. It should come from the Department of Agriculture.)

Villar said even the Senate president favored transferring RSBSA to the national level as “it is now becoming too politicized by local agriculturists.”

“You have to check kasi we cannot afford it na [mali] ‘yung listahan kasi it will take a lot of money to finance that,” said Villar, speaking to the Department of Agriculture.

(You have to check because we cannot afford an erroneous list. It will take a lot of money to finance that.)

RSBSA contains information on individual farmers and fishermen in the country.

READ: Gov’t boosting crucial farm sector database

It serves as a basis for designing programs and policies for the sector, including those who may avail themselves of agri-fishery-related government services, particularly programs and projects of the Department of Agriculture — its bureaus, attached agencies, and corporations.

The agency said RSBSA registration is voluntary.