DA urged to turn over Nabcor branch to N. Cotabato local gov’t

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala. FILE PHOTO

KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato, Philippines – A town councilor of Kabacan, North Cotabato, filed on Wednesday, a resolution asking the Department of Agriculture (DA) to place the National Agribusiness Corporation (Nabcor) under the direct supervision of the local government unit.

Jonathan Tabara, chair of the town council’s committee on agriculture, has asked Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala for the formal turnover of Nabcor-Kabacan to the local government, instead of abolishing it following the alleged involvement of its top officials in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

Tabara said it would be better for the local government to manage the Nabcor facilities in Kabacan to ensure continued service to the farmers in the province.

“It will also generate employment in Kabacan town and can add income to the local revenues,” Tabara said in his resolution.

Tabara expressed optimism the DA would heed the request, especially since the agency has been serving at least 2,000 farmers in the entire province.

The plan would also save 17 Nabcor employees who could lose their jobs if the agency was abolished, he added.

Employees of Nabcor-Kabacan earlier said they should not be included in President Aquino’s proposal to abolish the firm due to its alleged involvement in pork barrel fund scam.

Citing the Commission on Audit’s (COA) reports from 2007-2009, Nabcor through its alleged bogus non-government organization received P1.227 billion from the pork barrel of legislators involved in fund mess.

But Rosauro Paniza, the firm’s manager in Kabacan, said not a single centavo from the P1.227 billion. went to their office. He said Nabcor-Kabacan was established in August 2006, a year before some lawmakers allegedly allocated their pork barrel to agency’s national office.

Paniza said their field office was able to get a P10-million grant from its main office and has been operating independently using these funds.

“Now we have at least a P2-million profit from buying and selling corn cubs and corn processing,” Paniza earlier said.

The Nabcor office in North Cotabato operates a corn processing plant and mechanical dryer.

It also sells processed corn to firms like Cargill and B-Meg in General Santos City.

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