DA’s policy shift irks partylist solon

Butil Rep. Cecilia Chavez strongly opposed on Thursday the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) policy shift, which scrapped farm subsidies and replaced it with easy-access credit program.

“We should defer this hearing now if you don’t want to change your shift from subsidy to credit program…” a visibly irked lawmaker told Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol during the Department’s budget briefing at the House of Representatives.

“May mga magsasakang may problema sa credit program na ito dahil sa [There are famers who have problems with the credit program because of the] tedious requirements,” Chavez also said, as she lamented how Piñol previously ignored some of her requests to meet him.

Piñol insisted that they would continue with the policy shift, which they aim to complete by 2020, adding that it was “unfair” for Chavez to insinuate that they were not doing anything at the Department.

The DA Secretary also said the policy shift was presented to President Rodrigo Duterte who in turn supported it.

Piñol has pushed for the policy shift in a bid to save the government money, as he said the program “bleeds the government dry every year.”

“For production support for all sections, it reaches P30 to P40 billion annually and all of that money is just given away without chance of recovery,” he said in May.

ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro also questioned the policy shift, warning that farmers might fell into debt.

“Paano tayo nakasisigurado na di malulubog lalo sa utang ang Filipino farmers and fisherfolk kung pauutangin sila imbis na bigyan ng direktang subsidyo? Na tataas ang productivity nila at di tataas ang production costs?” Castro asked Piñol.

(How can we be sure that the Filipino farmers and fisherfolk will not be burdened by debt in case they will be given loan rather than subsidy? That their productivity will increase without increasing the production cost.)

Piñol then cited delays and other institutional problems in procurement as reasons behind the shift.

Castro has also warned that this shift might be leaning toward privatization.

“Lalong maglulubog sa utang at kahirapan ang mga Pilipinong magsasaka at mangigisda. Nananatiling mas tamang polisiya ang direct subsidies sa agriculture sector na nakikita sa ibang bansa na nagpapataas ng productivity, leads to food self-sufficiency, and lifts farmers and fisherfolk from poverty,” she said.

(The Filipino farmers and fishermen will be overcome by debt and poverty. It is still the best policy the direct subsidies in agriculture sector that are being observed even in other countries that will increase productivity, leads to food self-sufficiency, and lifts farmers and fisherfolk from poverty.)

Chavez meanwhile suggested that the DA make use of the Philippine Rice Research Institute’s studies in order to keep the rice production cost low. Piñol said this is already being done by the agency.

DA’s proposed P49.8-billion 2019 cash-based budget is a 1.8 percent decrease from 2018’s cash-based equivalent of P50.7-billion, according to the Department of Budget and Management’s budget briefer. The DA is also the 7th highest recipient of funds for 2019.

Earlier in the briefing, Piñol has attributed the increase in prices of rice to inflation, very high inputs, very low production, and insufficient irrigation facilities. /jpv