Senator Cynthia A. Villar confirmed Thursday that a joint Senate-House panel agreed to retain the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, as well as a separate P10-billion funding in national budget for coconut farmers.
Interviewed after attending a bicameral meeting on the coco levy fund and rice tariffication bills, Villar reported the senators and congressmen also opted to “divide the coconut bill into two.”
Asked if the Rice Fund was retained, Villar replied: “Of course. That is the most important, right? The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, and the national budget appropriation for the coconut farmers. Pareho silang [They are both] P10 billion.”
The senator clarified that three bills were actually approved by the bicameral panel. “These are three bills because we divided the coconut bill into two. One for the benefit of the industry and one for the coco levy fund,” Villar said.
Villar confirmed that the bicameral panel also agreed to adopt the Senate version of the rice tariffication bill, which, she said, provides for 35-percent tariff. “That is the provision for Asean. But in other countries it’s higher. Kasi may limit sila, mas mababa ang Asean [Because they have a limit, it’s lower in Asean].”
She clarified that the lawmakers sitting on the bicameral panel “want to ensure that the National Food Authority will buy buffer stocking from the local farmers. They want it specified there.”
At the same time, the senator allayed concerns aired by farmers over “misconceptions” on the implementation of rice tariffication.
“[There is a] Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund because we analyzed why they are not competitive. Based on our study [they are not] competitive, [because their] labor cost [is higher] compared to Vietnam,” said Villar, adding: “So we are going to mechanize.”
She explained that P5 billion of the P10 billion will go to mechanization so that the rice farmers can compete. “Because that is the highest cost difference, labor. And then P3 billion will go to seeds. [They will be taught to be] seed growers [of] inbred seeds from PhilRice,” Villar said. Per estimates, she said this “will increase their harvest from 4 metric tons to 6 metric tons per hectare.”
The senator surmised that restive farmers may have been misinformed because they have not yet read the law.
“Hindi nila binasa. Masyado sila ano na tinatanggal daw ang power ng NFA, tapos bakit daw binigay sa PhilMech at PhilRice iyong budget. Sila naman talaga ang agency na na-create ng Afma at Afmech, sila iyong two agency na kinreate to take care of mechanization and to take care of development of seeds.”
[They didn’t read it. They focused on the NFA powers being removed; and then asked why the budget was being given to PhilMech and PhilRice. But these are the agencies created by the Afma and Afmech; these agencies were created to take care of mechanization and to take care of development of seeds.”She added the farmers may have misunderstood the provisions in the law. “They didn’t understand that it’s really the agency that must get these funds,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“It’s still under the Department of Agriculture but [we already specify the] agency [that will receive it] so we can be sure they’ll be responsible; and we can determine who’s accountable if the law is not implemented,” she added.
Villar also assured adequate safeguards and assistance for farmers in the new law.
Under the mechanization, she said, they will get tractors, transplanters, harvesters, dryers, milling equipment. The machines will be given to the farmers’ associations and cooperatives.
According to Villar, the final version of the certified bill is expected to be ratified by the Senate and the House way before Congress adjourns for the Christmas recess on December 12. “They hope to finish it this afternoon [Thursday] or tomorrow morning. Then we will route it to the members of the bicameral committee for signing, then we ratify.”
She expects the bill to be signed into law by Malacanang soon as the final version is submitted by Congress. “Yes. It’s a certified bill. They are waiting for it.”