Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 12) — Sen. Cynthia Villar has flagged the recent importation spree of the Department of Agriculture (DA), calling the agency the “Department of Importation.”
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During Wednesday’s Senate hearing on her bill that seeks to develop and promote the yellow corn industry, Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, reminded the DA that importation is a temporary solution to supply shortage.
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“Ang inyong mandate is to have a developmental program that will produce enough supply for the Philippines at a competitive price. ‘Yun ang mandate ninyo. Hindi ninyo mandate na kung may gustong mag-import, bibigyan ninyo ng import permit. That’s not your mandate,” Villar told DA officials.
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[Translation: Your mandate is to have a developmental program that will produce enough supply for the Philippines at a competitive price. That’s your mandate. It’s not your mandate to give an import permit to anyone who wants to import. That’s not your mandate.]
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“Pag ganun ang inyong mandate eh tatawagin nga kayong Department of Importation, hindi kayo Department of Agriculture. ‘Yan ang tawag sa inyo eh,” she added.
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[Translation: If that is your mandate, then the agency should be called the Department of Importation not the Department of Agriculture. That’s what you should be called.]
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Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Villar said the country had a surplus of yellow corn from 2019 to 2022 due to importation.
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Villar said her bill seeks to develop the local yellow corn industry “to enhance the availability of affordable and quality feeds” in the country.
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“Sana malagay sa isip ng ating DA na, towards the long run, we will always aim that we produce what we need. Dapat supply is equal demand,” she said.
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“In the meantime na hindi natin nagagawa ‘yun, we will import but that is a temporary solution. Kasi ‘yun ang ginagawa niyong permanent solution tapos di kayo nagkakaroon ng any developmental activity. Mali ‘yon,” she added.
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[Translation: I hope the DA puts into mind that, in the long run, we will always aim that we produce what we need. Supply should equal demand. In the meantime that we cannot do that, we will import, but that is a temporary solution. That is what you do as a permanent solution and then you don’t have any developmental activity. That’s wrong.]
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In defense of the DA’s actions, Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said there is lack of harvest facilities and irrigation for corn production and added that most of the agency’s budget is allotted for rice production.
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“For the longest time, masyado po na-focus ang budget ng department, of course, sa rice at kokonti po ‘yung budget na annually napupunta sa corn,” he said.
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[Translation: For the longest time, the department’s budget has been focused on rice and few portions of the budget are annually allocated to corn.]
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Villar recently scolded Bureau of Animal Industry officials for excessive importation of meat despite enough local supply.
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