Agri state of emergency needs further studies: senator

FILE: A farmer uses a bako (small rake) to replant rice seedlings on a vacant area and spread them equally in the paddy in Barangay Pambuan, Gapan, Nueva Ecija. (PNA photo by Oliver Marquez)

MANILA – Senator Joel Villanueva does not agree with the call of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare a state of emergency in the agriculture sector.

Villanueva said he is ready to coordinate with the Marcos administration about the proposal, citing the need for a thorough study.

“First things first. Kailangan ba talagang magdeklara pa ng state of emergency? Talaga po bang state of emergency ang rekomendasyon para solusyonan ang problema sa agrikultura (Is declaration of state of emergency really needed? Is state of emergency really the recommendation to address the problem in agriculture)?” he said in a statement.

In a forum on Friday, PCAFI said President Marcos can encourage local government units to set aside a portion of their internal revenue allotment and divert those to improving food production.

However, Villanueva questioned if there are sufficient jobs that will be created or programs that will be sacrificed.

The presumptive Senate majority leader then invited the Department of Agriculture (DA), PACFI, and other stakeholders to provide them an assessment on the status of the agriculture sector and their plans and suggestions.

“We can just ask the DA to brief us on the present situation, including the recommendation from PCAFI. We’re here to help in any way we can,” Villanueva said.

PACFI also suggested that the government tap the agriculture-agrarian loan allocation to temporarily support the sector until the crisis dissipates.

The group asked President Marcos to review the mandate of the Philippine Guaranty Corporation and ensure that the agency caters to the needs of farmers and agribusiness groups.