MANILA, Philippines – Hinikayat ni Senador Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan sa Senado na pagtibayin kaagad ang magktambal na panukalang reporma sa sektor ng agrikultura – ang paglikha ng Agricultural and Fisheries Cooperatives Act at Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act.
Sa pahayag, hiniling ito ni Pangilinan sa gitna ng tumitinding tensiyon sa Gitnang Silangan na nagbabanta sa food supply sa buong mundo at magpapataas sa halaga ng pagkain.
Susugan ng kambal na panukala ang kanyang 2019 Sagip Saka Act na pinapayagan ang pambansang ahensiya ng pamahalaan at local government units na bumili ng pagkain direkta sa magsasaka at mangingisda nang walang public bidding.
Alinsunod sa kanyang sponsorship speeches sa dalawang panukala noong marso 18, pinahalagahan ng senado ang pangangailangan ng mabilisang pagkilos upang mapalakas ang local food production at bawasan ang pag-aangkat.
“Sabi nga po nila, ‘to secure our food, we must first secure our farmers and fisherfolks’ and para ma-secure ang kanilang kagalingan at kahusayan, kailangan nating ma-organisa at mapalakas ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda, lalo na ang kanilang kabuhayan at sa bayanihan na natural lamang na dumadaloy sa ating dugong Pilipino,” aniya sa kanyang sponsorship speech para sa Senate Bill 1990 sa ilalim ng Committee Report No. 52, na naglalayong palakasin ang agricultural and fisheries cooperatives sa bansa.
Ayon kay Pangilinan: “The proposed measure will cover entire value supply chains, including inputs, production, processing, logistics, marketing, savings and credit, farm education, agri‑tourism, digital agriculture, and climate‑resilient safety nets.”
Magbibigay din ng tax incentives at hihikayatin nito ang bangko at financial institutions ng gobyerno na maghando ng preferential treatment sa agri at fisheries cooperatives.
“Doing so will strengthen their financial positions, empowering them to achieve economies of scale that they can use to enter into negotiated contracts with government agencies and instrumentalities under the Sagip Saka Act,” ani Pangilinan.
Isinusulong din ni Pangilinan ang pagsasabatas ng panukala na renationalize sa agricultural extension services “to address precisely that serious and wide gap in terms of agricultural governance sa bansa.”
“The proposed bill will bring extension service workers down to the municipal level, ensuring the timely and efficient implementation of government programs and the distribution of assistance to farmers and fisherfolk,” ayon sa senador.
Ipinaliwanaag ni Pangilinan na kapag naisabatas ang panukala, magsisilbi itong pamuhunan sa systematic expansion sa food supply chain sa bansa dahil kailangan ng tulong at subsidy ng magsasaka at mangingisda maging akmang pagsasanay sa climate-smart agriculture, technologies, insurance, at iba pa.
“In the end Mr. President, when I was food security secretary in 2014 and 2015, the country was importing 10 billion dollars worth of agriculture products. Today, 10 years later, we are importing double. 20 billion dollars worth of agriculture products. It is not right,” ani Pangilinan sa kanyang sponsorship speech para Senate Bill 1991 sa ilalim ng Committee Report No. 53, or the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act.
“We have to correct, Mr. President – the broken system of agriculture systems in the country. Mahirap pa rin ang ating mga magsasaka. Baon pa sa mga utang. Puro import pa ang nangyayari sa ating pagkain kaya these twin measures Mr. President that will re-structure the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Mr. President, I believe is the way forward,” giit ng senador.
Dagdag pa ng senador na: ”food security must remain a top national priority and urged fellow lawmakers to prioritize these bills to protect the country from future food crises.” Ernie Reyes
