Lawmakers have begun their scrutiny of the proposed P3.767-trillion national budget for 2018 on Tuesday. The House Committee on Appropriations kicked off the budget hearings by inviting the members of the Development Budget Coordination Committee—Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, Socioeconomic Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr.—to discuss the details of the proposed 2018 budget. House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez was quoted as saying that the lower chamber intends to pass the 2018 budget by October.
It is clear that the national budget for 2018 is meant to usher in the so-called golden age of infrastructure, as the Department of Public Works and Highways is seen getting an allocation of P643.3 billion, 37.5 percent higher than what it received for this year. The rollout of more infrastructure projects is expected to create thousands of jobs, especially for low-skilled workers in the construction sector. The construction of more roads, bridges and other public infrastructure would surely boost government efforts to reduce unemployment and cut poverty rate.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), the agency that leads food production in the Philippines, got a measly allocation of P54.2 billion. This amount is nearly one-third of the P213.2-billion budget proposed by the National Agriculture and Fisheries Council to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the amount given to his department would not allow him to roll out new initiatives or significantly improve existing ones to increase food production.
For a country that has to contend with a new nemesis in climate change, the low budget could present challenges to making food more affordable and available to the poor—one of President Duterte’s campaign promises. In his second State of the Nation Address, the President had given the marching order to concerned agencies to climate-proof food production. Agencies, led by the DA, cannot do this with a meager budget.
Boosting food production is an expensive proposition, something that cannot be done overnight. Some experts have earlier thumbed down the self-sufficiency goals of the DA, saying it is too costly to achieve and that importing food could be a better alternative as farm products, such as rice, are produced cheaply by neighboring Southeast Asian countries. But the 2008 global food price crisis reminded nations that food-exporting countries would always prioritize their citizens and cut back on shipments when push comes to shove.
Lawmakers must allow the DA to help Duterte make good on his campaign promises and to carry out his marching orders. Unless the government is ready to provide millions of farmers and farmworkers with a good alternative to their current source of livelihood and unless the Duterte administration decides to just import food for 104 million Filipinos, there is no other recourse that can ensure food security other than supporting the agriculture sector.