Piñol seeks bigger agriculture budget
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol stressed that the national government must give due importance to the agriculture sector and not solely focus on its “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure development program.
“You know, development must be equitable and fair. Our mindset should not only be focused on the things that provide employment now like the call centers because these are temporary things,” he said when he met with over 300 stakeholders of the mango growing industry from Eastern and Central Visayas in Mandaue City last Friday.
Pinol bared that of the R3.77-trillion budget that the government has allocated for next year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will only get R60.6 billion, which is less than 2 percent of the total sum.
Piñol pressed for a R220.5-billion DA budget.
“That’s unfair. For the sector which grows food, catches fish, and plants fruits for the Filipino people, 2 percent of the total national budget is unfair,” he stressed.
He explained that “the farms in the mountains, the lakes, the rivers, and the seas from where we will get our food” will still be there by the time investors change their minds and withdraw the business process outsourcing companies they have brought to the country.
Under the 2018 national budget, public works, according to earlier reports, has the second highest appropriation with R643.3 billion.
“So, why are you unfair? Farm-to-market roads are what our farmers need. How much are we getting? R6 billion, that’s only good for 600 kilometers,” he said, adding that DA’s backlog to fill is 13,000 kilometers.
President Rodrigo Duterte committed to complete the construction of farm-tomarket road network within his term.
Piñol noted that when he met Duterte Wednesday, he asked him to take a second look at the budget allocation for DA. (Kier Edison Belleza)