Senators tells gov't to itemize P48.7-B agri fund

MANILA, Philippines – Senators called on the Arroyo government yesterday to itemize the source and allotment of the P48.7-billion fund for the agriculture and fisheries sectors aimed at making the country 92 percent self-sufficient in rice this year.

The lawmakers said the country could not afford another controversy similar to the alleged misuse of fertilizer and swine funds at this time.

They also said the release of the fund must be guarded with vigilance since the administration’s response to the looming food crisis and rising prices of commodities appeared to be knee-jerk and lacking in direction.

It was Sen. Francis Escudero who first called for an “itemized” source and spending of the said funds to be released by the Palace to avoid corruption and wastage.

Senators Manuel Roxas II and Loren Legarda also said the source of the funds must be explained and the real problems identified first before the “FIELDS” solution of the government is implemented.

The multibillion-peso food security allocation announced by President Arroyo was clustered into six packages dubbed “FIELDS,” which stands for fertilizer, irrigation and infrastructure, education and extension, loans and insurance, dryers and other post-harvest facilities, and seeds.

The 92 percent rice self-sufficiency target for this year followed by 98 percent in 2010 would be accomplished by restoring irrigation and post-harvest facilities, said Rex Estoperez, spokesman of the National Food Authority (NFA).

Estoperez did not say how self-sufficient the Philippines is in rice at this point but experts have previously estimated it at between 85 to 90 percent.

In an interview with ABS-CBN television, Estoperez said Arroyo had been upgrading the agriculture sector even earlier but the increase in population and the global rise in food prices had forced the government to step up its work.

“We must find out if these are additional funds or repackaged from the different areas of the current budget. If the funds came from the current budget, there might be nothing much to expect from the announcement (of the President),” Roxas said over radio station dwIZ.

Legarda, for her part, asked why the funds would be released only now that a crisis is looming when the government should have strived for a self-sufficient rice supply a long time ago.

“These are huge amounts and we need to know where it will come from. Will it be from the budget surplus? There should be itemization, accounting and other specific details as to which agency will disburse these funds, the Department of Agriculture or the local governments and officials?” Legarda also said over dwIZ.

Both Roxas and Legarda said it might not help if the government would build new irrigation facilities that would take three to five years to work given the impending rice crisis.

Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. suggested that the problem on rice black bugs be addressed immediately as this had been causing 15 to 23 percent yield loss in rice.

Sen. Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture, said he would call for an investigation into the hog diseases which plagued the country late last year, since this has been one of the reasons for the shortage of pork and the consequent rise in prices.

Roxas said with so many problems, the government must first determine where the farmers’ difficulties lie.

“Is it in production, technology, irrigation, farm to market roads, wastage because of lack of post-harvest facilities such as dryers? Is it because of rice cartel or price manipulation?” he asked.

Senators said part of the long-terms plans would be the moratorium on land conversion, especially irrigated farm lands, and even population control, as they stressed that importation would not be the answer to the country’s rice problem and neither would the lowering of the tariff.

Pardoned former President Joseph Estrada also urged yesterday the Senate and the House of Representatives to use their oversight functions to make sure that the P48.7-billion emergency fund for food security will not land in the pockets of corrupt government officials.

In a telephone interview with The STAR, Estrada blamed the Arroyo administration for the existing rice crisis in the country.

“There would have been no rice crisis if they (Arroyo administration) did not stop my food security program. I just hope that the money (P48.7-billion food security fund) will really go to the program,” Estrada said.

Full transparency

Malacañang has assured full transparency in the ongoing probe into the alleged multi-billion swine scam even as it welcomed the proposal of a senator to publish the names of farmers who have received funds from a swine-raising program.

But while saying that there is nothing wrong with the proposal, Malacañang emphasized that the decision to comply lies with the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp. (Quedancor) as the administrator of the program.

“Malacañang will not oppose that in the spirit of transparency. But that should be addressed to the Quedancor which is the primary agency involved,” said Presidential Management Staff director general Cerge Remonde in an interview over dzRB. – With Marvin Sy, Jose Rodel Clapano