Government urged to probe PHilMech  

MANILA, Philippines —  The government is urged to probe the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) after retired officials and employees bared an ongoing row between the agency’s director and its key officials over the overpricing of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) tractor procurement in 2021.

In an open letter to the government, retired PHilMech officials and employees led by Rex Bingabing expressed concern over the drastic overhaul of the existing leadership structure of the agency.

The overhaul stemmed from a dispute after PHilMech executive director Dionisio Alvindia claimed in September last year that there has been corruption over the procurement of the 2021 RCEF tractors.

Alvindia  said the 1,346 units of four-wheel farm tractors under the RCEF–Mechanization Program funding for 2021 were “overpriced.”

He said the four-wheel farm tractors were purchased at P1.298 million each, higher than the P1.2 million budget approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The PHilMech management found it irregular that the farm tractors were purchased at a price not authorized by the DBM, even if the DBM’s specifications did not include hydraulic ports.

Days after, Alvindia backtracked on his “overpriced” statement, blaming media for misquoting him and clarifying that “there was no corruption committed in the awarding and acquisition” of the said tractors, which included hydraulic ports.”

But after this incident, PHilMech apparently implemented a drastic overhaul of the existing leadership structure of the agency.

In the letter, the former employees said nine out of 11 divisions of the agency are run by mostly junior staff who are designated as acting chiefs.

“It is important to note that even with the retraction of his allegation, four DA-PHilMech officials were still placed on preventive suspension. Alarmingly, five other senior officials were relieved from their posts and put on floating status,” they said.

“This puts the agency at a precarious position since most of the senior officials serving as division chiefs were replaced with junior staff,” they said.

The concerned former officials and employees vouched for the displaced officials, highlighting their exemplary and meritorious work known not only in the agency but outside as well.

“Most have achieved exemplary and meritorious work known not only within the confines of the agency but outside as well – in the research community, local and abroad, and the greater agro-industrial sector of the country. Even a cursory look into their records and accomplishments will attest to this,” they said.

Thus, they are calling for an urgent study on the current situation in PHilMech and for an objective action on the suspension and displacement of its key officials.

“This pleading is for an objective action to ensure the continued viability and integrity of the agency to fulfill its strategic role in the country’s agricultural productivity and agri-based industries’ development,” the retired officials and employees said.

PHilMech is the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture   tasked with the implementation of the P5-billion per annum grant-in-kind RCEF Mechanization Program and the P500-million per annum Coconut Trust Fund-shared Facilities for Processing Program.