MANILA, Philippines – A House committee on Thursday, August 3, deferred its consideration of the proposed P60.6-billion budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for 2018 since this is significantly lower than what the department initially proposed.

“This representation is inclined to defer the consideration of the P60-billion budget ng DA para maipakita natin doon sa economic managers na ‘Hey, hindi namin kailangan ng P60 billion. Dagdagan ‘nyo,'” said ANAC-IP Representative Jose Panganiban, chairman of the House committee on agriculture and food.

(This representation is inclined to defer the consideration of the P60-billion budget of the DA to show the economic managers that “Hey, we don’t need P60 billion. Increase this budget.”)

The House committee on appropriations, which was deliberating the DA’s proposed budget, recognized Panganiban’s motion to defer.

During Thursday’s budget hearing, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol disclosed that his department actually asked for a P220-billion budget for 2018.

“Mukhang nahulog sa upuan ang ating mga economic managers and they gave us P60 billion. Malungkot (It looks like the economic managers were surprised and they gave us P60 billion. It’s sad),” he added.

Panganiban and a number of other lawmakers expressed their dismay upon learning that the DA’s proposed budget decreased from P220 billion to P60.6 billion.

“I take exception to the statement of the economic managers that hindi na po tayo agricultural economy. Kaya siguro sa kanila, P220 billion, okay lang na bawasan hanggang P60 billion,” Panganiban noted.

(I take exception to the statement of the economic managers that we’re no longer an agricultural economy. Maybe that’s why for them, the P220 billion, it’s okay to decrease it to P60 billion.)

He added: “Mr Chair, nasa Congress pa rin ang power of the purse. You know, I am inclined na dapat suportahan natin ‘yung nire-request ni Mr Secretary na budget, P220 billion.”

(Mr Chair, the power of the purse is still with Congress. You know, I am inclined to support the budget requested by Mr Secretary, P220 billion.)

After the hearing, Piñol told reporters he’s happy that Congress is concerned with the country’s agricultural sector.

“Since there is this intervention from the congressmen who believe that DA is not getting its right budget to be able to increase productivitiy of the countryside, then I will yield to the wishes of Congress because after all they have the power of the purse,” he said.

The agriculture secretary said they will go back to their original proposal of P220 billion and they will sit down with Congress to discuss this budget.

“Kung talagang hindi feasible ‘yun, we will come up with a more reasonable amount na hindi naman masyadong ma-strain ‘yung budget ng ating gobyerno. Siguro mga 3/4 of that would be very, very good for us,” Piñol said, estimating that the reasonable amount is about P160 billion.

(If that’s really not feasible, we will come up with a more reasonable amount that won’t be much of a strain to the budget of our government. Maybe 3/4 of that would very, very good for us.)

A bigger budget, according to him, will help sustain the growth of the country’s agriculture sector, which is now at a rate of 5%. He noted that the easy access financing program alone, which will benefit a million farming and fisherfolk families, will need P50 billion. 

In addition, Piñol estimated that for the next 5 years, around P26 billion must be allocated yearly for the farm-to-market road program in order to address the country’s 13,000-kilometer backlog.

The program only has a P6-billion allocation under the proposed P60.6-billion budget. 

“Medyo malaki-laki ‘yung hiningi naming budget, and I did so because of the commitment of the President na tatapusin ‘yung farm-to-market roads within 5 years,” Piñol explained.

(The budget we requested is quite huge, and I did so because of the commitment of the President to finish the farm-to-market roads within 5 years.) – Rappler.com