Former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan is pushing for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to have a total budget of P800 billion in the next six years.


For that to happen, the agency would need an additional P600 billion spread out in six years.


“Magagawa natin yan kung taon-taon ay dadagdagan natin ng tig-isang daang bilyon piso ang budget ng DA hanggang sa umabot ito sa P800 billion,” the former senator, who was also the food security secretary during the Aquino administration, stressed.


This, he said, will be used to expand crop insurance, to establish drying and cold storage facilities, silos for rice and corn and other aid-related support for farmers among others. The additional funding will also go to the hiring of extension workers to ensure farmers and fisherfolk are provided the much needed support services.


“Yung dagdag natin pondong yun, susuportahan natin sa drying facilities, sa pataba, sa fertilizer, sa pestisidyo ang ating mga magsasaka. Susuportahan natin sa cold storage,” he explained, noting that lowering the prices of rice will rely on the kind of support agricultural workers like farmers can receive from the government.


“Kayang pababain ang presyo ng bigas pero sabi nga, you put your money where your mouth is. You do not put the money in your pocket as a public servant,” he added.


He also lamented recent studies showing that 36% of Filipinos are experiencing hunger because of the high prices of food and other goods, pointing out how the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Act can address this problem.


The law, which allows the national and local governments to buy directly from farmers and fisherfolk without public bidding, was a promise that he fulfilled in 2019.


With access to government agencies as a market, the former senator said that farmers will have increased revenues that will empower them to produce more crops and other goods. An improved supply chain will bring down the prices of food in the market.


Pangilinan, who had been advocating for food security for the past 15 years, recalled his success in bringing down rice inflation and overall inflation in 2015.


In his one-year term as food security czar, he was able to lower rice inflation from 15% to 0.8% in just one year, while overall inflation was down to 1.5%.


To lower the prices of rice then, he also authorized the National Food Authority (NFA) to sell rice at P27 to P32 per kilo.


“Noong nakita ng mga traders na mura ang kinakalat namin na bigas, nagbaba na rin sila ng presyo,” he recalled, adding that he also went after smugglers and blacklisted abusive traders and middlemen.


“Kaya nating gawin noon, kaya ulit gawin ngayon,” Pangilinan said.


If he wins a seat in next month’s midterm elections, he promised to work with all, regardless of political color.


“Ang gutom walang kulay. Ang solusyon ay walang kulay. Tutukan natin ang daing ng taumbayan hindi lamang dahil yun ang ating mandato kundi iyon ang karapat-dapat na serbisyong publiko na matanggap ng ating mga kababayan,” he vowed.