A lawmaker has expressed confidence that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) will address the problem of farmers from “a more holistic perspective,” but he says plans to resurrect Masagana 99 should be tweaked.
Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. of the Liberal Party said every aspect of the agricultural supply chain, from farm to market, must be studied and appropriate solutions developed for each area with similar characteristics and problems.
“Some of Masagana 99’s previous strategies and approaches could be used to improve farmers’ social and economic conditions, but changes are required,” Assistant Minority Leader Bordado said.
“There were several factors which contributed to the decline of Masagana 99 and its eventual ‘death,’ so I do hope that this will not be repeated in this Masagana 150 Program, which should be using certified seeds and the Masagana 200 Program, which will be using hybrid seeds.”
The Masagana 99 under the Green Revolution Program was launched in 1973 by former President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Rep. Imelda Romualdez-Marcos. The program aimed to produce 99 sacks of rice per hectare to address the country’s acute rice shortage.
Meanwhile, Bordado lauded the DA for the programs that will address the issues that local farmers are currently facing.
“I actually commend the Department of Agriculture for coming up with programs and projects which will address the current crisis.”
During the Department of Agriculture’s budget deliberation last week, Bordado expressed optimism about Marcos’s agricultural plans.
“The president [also] said that he will financially equip farmers and fishers and allow them to be more competitive and competent. Consistent with his pronouncements in the past, Madam Speaker, the President said that he would prioritize Philippine agriculture by pushing for the mechanization and modernization of the sector.”
At the same budget deliberation, Bordado made sure that the department’s proposed budget would benefit the entire country, rather than just the National Capital Region, which is far from an agricultural hub.
The Camarines Sur representative was also concerned about the status of the Bayanihan 2 unobligated allotment funds, ensuring that taxpayer money is spent wisely and that funds are allocated to food producers.
Bordado inquired about the success of increasing crop yield through the implementation of the “Plant, Plant, Plant” program, given the reported scarcity of many food commodities.
He also criticized the approach of a top official of the Department of Agriculture to the issue of oversupply of some agricultural products, alleging that farmers were to blame for failing to consider the market.
For Bordado, it was uncalled for and solutions should have been presented instead.
Bordado also noted the disparities in the distribution of fertilizer reimbursements to farmer-beneficiaries.
The sponsor of the Agriculture Department budget told lawmakers that the matter is being investigated.
Bordado said he wanted to ensure the welfare of farmers and fishermen. Prior to becoming a politician, he worked in the agriculture sector through the Agriculture Credit Policy Council which was previously known as the Technical Board for Agricultural Credit.
Image credits: Bloomberg