Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 4) — The Senate Majority Leader criticized the Department of Agriculture (DA), which is headed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for its supposed lack of efforts in assisting Oriental Mindoro residents reeling from the impact of the oil spill.
The DA plays “a very important role,” according to Sen. Joel Villanueva, as 62% of families in the province depend on the agricultural sector.
“It’s unfortunate for me to say na ‘yung [that the] Department of Agriculture parang passive [appears passive],” he said in a press briefing held in the province together with Gov. Bonz Dolor.
“I’m sorry to say that, but if you look at the records, I’ve been monitoring the past few weeks, tapos ngayon nakita ko pa in person papaano sila mag-respond [and I even personally witnessed how they respond], et cetera, ang tagal-tagal [it’s very slow],” the senator added.
Villanueva also said other agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development are more proactive in their response to the oil spill.
He described the crisis as a “learning experience” for him as a policymaker, and said he intends to take this into consideration during the next budget deliberations at the Senate.
“Nakikita natin ‘yung DA, perennial din ‘yan na ‘yung utilization nila, hindi magamit ‘yung ilang pondo,” he noted.
[Translation: We also see that it’s a perennial problem in the DA that some of its funds are not fully utilized.]
“It’s very hard for me to say this, pero kailangan nating kalampagin ang [but we need to bring these to the attention of the] Department of Agriculture…Sa darating na [In the next] budget season, I will ask them of their efforts,” Villanueva stressed.
CNN Philippines is trying to get comments from the DA.
In its latest oil spill bulletin dated April 26, the department said its Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has so far spent ₱22 million for livelihood and relief assistance to affected families. It has also deployed vessels, personal protective equipment, and other materials for clean-up activities.
“It (BFAR) has also been evaluating contaminant levels in seafood samples from these areas to determine if fish, seaweeds, and other marine organisms are safe for public consumption and if fishing grounds placed under fishing bans should be reopened,” the DA added.
