DA subsidies under review

MANILA, Philippines — A review of the distribution of subsidies to rightful agriculture sector stakeholders and a masterplan for farm-to-market roads (FMR) are now being prioritized by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a statement yesterday, DA Undersecretary-designate for consumer and political affairs Kristine Evangelista said there is a need to review the distribution of subsidies to aid local farmers, fishers and animal raisers.

“Our producers must also feel how the subsidy can help them and, at the same time, consumers can see lower prices in the markets,” Evangelista said in English and Filipino.

Earlier, agricultural groups urged President Marcos to prioritize food production subsidies over FMR road projects to mitigate the impact of rising costs affecting productivity in the sector.

But the DA is still looking to submit a masterplan for FMRs to the administration’s economic managers as soon as it maps out priority production areas throughout the country, Evangelista said.

During the Laging Handa briefing yesterday, she said the agency is studying how many roads are needed as the country has 10 million hectares of agricultural production areas.

“The whole masterplan and the map that we are instructed to develop will reflect the priority production areas and where it will lead to going to the market and taking into consideration the route it will have to take,” she said.

Evangelista, who is also the officer-in-charge director of the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service, said the DA’s existing projects and programs will undergo thorough assessment to determine their efficacy.

She said the DA will focus on increasing agricultural production and mobilizing agricultural commodities at consumer-friendly prices.

Earlier, the President – who is also acting DA secretary – said stabilizing prices which escalated because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is his priority.

The DA is also looking into intensifying production of rice, corn, vegetables, fisheries, livestock, high value crops and other agricultural products.

For rice supply, Evangelista said importation might still be needed for augmentation and for buffer stocking, but priority remains to be given to local palay production.

To address high prices and the stunting of poultry products, the DA Livestock Group would provide feeds, biologics, enhanced biosecurity and other forms of assistance to poultry raisers to keep prices in check, she said.

The prevailing retail price of whole dressed chicken in National Capital Region markets has remained at P200, DA Bantay Presyo-NCR reported yesterday.

To cushion the skyrocketing prices of sugar, Evangelista said the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is considering the importation of sugar.

Setting a suggested retail price is another option as consultations with stakeholders in the sugar industry are already being worked out.

At present, the prevailing retail price of refined sugar is P90 per kilo and for washed and brown sugar, P70.

NFA, SRA heads

Meanwhile, the top officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) and SRA shall stay on until the President appoints their respective successors.

In a July 19 memorandum, DA Undersecretary for operations Leocadio Sebastian advised both the NFA and SRA to maintain a status quo amid calls for their top officials to step down.

Citing the DA Legal Service’s opinion, the memorandum said “their appointments are not classified as co-terminus with the appointing authority, in excess of the authorized staffing pattern, or career executive service positions.”

The memo also cited Sections 17 and 18 of Republic Act No. 10149 (GOCC Governance Act of 2011), which state that the appointive director has a term of one year unless removed and shall continue to hold office until the successor is appointed.

“Hence, NFA administrator Atty. Judy Carol L. Dansal and SRA administrator Engr. Hermenegildo R. Serafica shall continue to hold office until their respective successors are appointed,” Sebastian said.

In a July 4 memorandum, SRA deputy administrators Guillermo Tejida, Ignacio Santillana and Brando Noroña designated Santillana as officer-in-charge of the agency.

The designation was made to ensure “the exigency of the service, its unhampered delivery to the public and to give effect to the intent of [the President’s] Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 2022.”

However, Serafica issued a memorandum order dated July 12 stating that he is not covered by the MC 1.

Despite this, sugar planters’ group appealed to previously appointed officials to vacate their posts and called for the urgent appointment of an SRA head to resolve the looming sugar shortage by next month.

For the NFA, the NFA Employees Association urged Marcos and lawmakers to probe and sanction Dansal for refusing to vacate her post at the end of the Duterte administration and for alleged graft and corrupt practices.

However, Dansal said the holdover capacity is contained in various laws and that she is prepared to turn over the office and all pertinent records and documents once her successor is appointed.