Malacañang on Thursday, September 20, expressed hope that the transfer of the National Food Authority (NFA) to the Department of Agriculture (DA) would lead to closer coordination thereby ensuring adequate and continuous supply of rice at reasonable prices.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. in a Palace press briefing said he is hopeful that the NFA Council, under the new leadership of DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, would be more efficient in determining the need to import more rice to ensure sufficient supply in the markets.
This comes after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued Executive Order No. 62 placing the NFA, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) under the DA’s supervision.
“Inaasahan natin na mas magiging efficient ‘yung determination kung kailan kinakailangan mag-angkat ng bigas dahil ang datos mismo ay hawak ng Department of Agriculture, kung magkano ang nai-produce ng mga lokal na mga magsasaka at kung magkano pa ang kinakailangan ma-angkat para maibigay ‘yung inaasahan nating demand ng merkado,” Roque stressed.
He said the President’s marching order to Secretary Piñol is to facilitate a more seamless importation of rice, while also ensuring that the needs and concerns of Filipino farmers are not ignored.
“Syempre po ang pinakaimportante ‘yung pinakamalapit sa ating tiyan. ‘Yung ating National Food Authority, kinakailangan seamless ‘yung pag-angkat ng bigas, kinakailangan sapat ang ating suplay ng bigas,” Roque said.
“Kinakailangan ‘yung balance na sapat ang suplay, pero hindi naman maapektuhan ‘yung kita ng ating mga lokal na magsasaka,” he added.
On a similar note, Roque said President Duterte ordered the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) to go back to its original mandate of providing assistance to poor farmers by giving them easier access to instant credit.
“Ang gusto kasi niya, ‘yung Landbank, bumalik sa kanilang mandato na tulungan ‘yung mga maliliit na magsasaka. Hindi naman kasi pwede na ‘yung isang bangko na binuo ng gobyerno para tulungan ang magsasaka, hindi na malapitan ng magsasaka dahil napakadaming requirements,” Roque said, following the President’s meeting with Landbank officials.
“’Yun po ang gusto niya, to remind [Landbank] na lalo na ngayon, may mga ganitong sakuna gaya ng [typhoon] Ompong, kinakailangan magbigay ng tulong sa lalong mabilis na panahon at huwag naman to insist on a long list of requirements like any other uni-bank would do so,” he added.
Meanwhile, Roque said the issuance of an executive order seeking to ease food importation in the country remains underway even with the reorganization of NFA.
“Hindi lang naman po bigas ang problema. Meron din tayong problema sa manok, may problema rin tayo sa baboy, at may problema rin tayo sa gulay. Kinakailangan po natin na mapadali ‘yung proseso dahil alam naman natin, dapat meron tayong hakbang na ginagawa. Hindi man natin makontrol ang pagtaas ng halaga ng krudo, magawan natin ng paraan na bumaba ang presyo ng mga pagkain,” he said.
Palace: DBM allots P3.4B for DA’s 2019 financing program
During the same press briefing, Malacañang announced that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allocated P3.4 billion for the DA’s financing program for next year.
Secretary Roque said the DA’s Subsidy 2 Credit (S2C) Program would be offering flexible non-collateralized production loans, quick response post-disaster loans with no interest, and other loans for the purchase of agricultural machinery.
“Dagdag pa rito, susuportahan rin ng programang ito ang mga negosyo ng mga kapatid nating katutubo at mga grupo ng magsasaka na may kinalaman sa pangangalakal at pagproseso ng agro-fishery products,” Roque added. (PCO-Content)
