Agriculture budget cut by P3.4 B

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte has cut funding for agriculture by P3.4 billion, from P54 billion this year to P50.6 billion in 2017.

When queried by congressmen during a budget hearing yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol could not explain why Duterte reduced funding for his department.

The lawmakers said the reduction is contrary to the President’s pronouncements that he would like the agriculture sector to grow since farmers are among the poorest sectors of the population.

Piñol told the House appropriations committee chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles that funding for projects was slashed by more than P12 billion, from P20.5 billion to P8.4 billion.

On the other hand, the allocation for programs increased by P7 billion, from P19.9 billion to P26.9 billion, he said.

He said the rice production enhancement program would get an additional P2.6 billion, from P7.1 billion to P9.7 billion; while high value crops would have P1.1 billion more, from P2.9 billion to P4 billion.

A report Piñol submitted to the Nograles committee shows the allocations that were removed in the budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for next year.

The biggest is P2.6 billion, intended for “various programs recommended by local government units.”

It is in this year’s DA budget but deleted in next year’s proposed outlay.

Also scrapped were P489 million for the “Socsargen (South Cotabato, Sarangani, General Santos) integrated food production program” and P586 million for the “implementation of Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) program,” whose beneficiaries are rebel returnees.

The DA’s “Philippine rural development project” also suffered a huge budgetary cut, from P9.1 billion to P2.1 billion, or a P7-billion reduction.

Funding for farm-to-market roads was also slashed, from P7.4 billion to P5.4 billion.

During the hearing, Piñol was asked what he was doing about alleged fund irregularities in his department during the time of his predecessor, Proceso Alcala.

“We are not looking into them, because I do not want to be an investigator-prosecutor. If I do that, it will eat up my time. There are investigative bodies that are doing investigations, like the Office of the Ombudsman. If they come up with recommendations, we will follow them,” he said.

“But I assure the public that under my watch, there will be no corruption in the Department of Agriculture,” he said.

Secretary to the Cabinet Leoncio Evasco Jr. presented the budgets of four agencies transferred by Duterte from the DA to his supervision. These are the National Food Authority (NFA), Philippine Coconut Authority, National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and Pesticide and Fertilizer Authority.

Evasco has recommended to the President the closure of NFA and NIA.