THANK YOU, SENATOR BAM. THIS HEARING IS ACTUALLY A JOINT HEARING OF BOTH THE BASIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, PUBLIC WORKS AND WAYS AND MEANS.
THE REASON WHY WE FILED THE MEASURE OF ‘LIBRENG ALMUSAL’ WHICH AFTER THE FIRST HEARING I THINK IT SHOULD NOW BE ‘LIBRENG PAGKAIN’ OR ‘FREE MEALS’, BECAUSE HINDI LANG NAMAN ALMUSAL ANG SCHEDULE NG ATING MGA KABATAAN.
A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT OF THE MEASURE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS SOURCING THE SUPPLY OF THE FOOD WHICH WE BELIEVE IF IT IS TO BE NUTRITIOUS, AS WELL AS FRESH, THEN LOCALLY SOURCED FOOD ITEMS SHOULD BE A COMPONENT OF THE NUTRITION PROGRAM. AND THAT’S WHY IN THE MEASURE THAT WE HAD PROPOSED UP TO 50% OF THE FEEDING PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS AS WELL AS IN DAY CARE CENTERS – WHENEVER POSSIBLE SHOULD BE SOURCED SA LOCAL FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK. WHICH IS WHY IT BLENDS WELL WITH THE SAGIP SAKA ACT WHEREIN PURCHASES BY NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OF A AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS DIRECTLY FROM FARMERS AND FISHERFOLKS ARE EXEMPTED FROM PUBLIC BIDDING.
AND IT’S INTERESTING AFTER OUR HEARING IN SEPTEMBER 1, WE HAVE WORKED ON THE APPROVAL OF THE GPPB RESOLUTION ON SAGIP SAKA WHICH WAS HANGING FOR 3 YEARS AND THE TWIN EO’S: EO 100 WHICH WAS ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENT AND EO 101 ALSO WITH RESPECT TO IMPLEMENTING PURCHASE OF PALAY BY LOCAL AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS THROUGH A MINIMUM FLOOR PRICE, THAT’S EO 100. AND FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SAGIP SAKA ACT WHICH IS EO 101. AND THAT’S WHY ASEC. JOYCEL PANLILIO IS HERE, SHE IS THE HEAD OF THE SAGIP SAKA DESK OR SAGIP SAKA OFFICE UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
SO WITH THE DEPED, WITH THE DSWD, WITH DA, ALL COMING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS HEALTHY FOOD FOR OUR CHILDREN IS IMPORTANT. IF I MAY STRESS AND I ALSO MENTION THIS TO SEC. REX AND THAT’S WHY DA IS ALSO CRITICAL IS BECAUSE YES, THE LAW IS THERE BUT MY EXPERIENCE WHEN I WAS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZING OUR FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK IS THAT THE CAPACITY OF OUR FARMERS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A SUPPLY IS A MAJOR CHALLENGE. THE WEAKEST LINK ACTUALLY IN THIS FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN IS NOT THE MARKET, IS NOT LOGISTICS, IT’S NOT THE LOCAL THE GOVERNMENTS OR THE NATIONAL ENTITIES INVOLVED IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN BUT IT’S REALLY THE FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK. SO YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT 14 BILLION PESOS WORTH OF FOOD PURCHASES BUT IF THE FARMERS AND THE FISHERFOLK ARE NOT CAPACITATED THEN THE SUPPLY WILL BE INCONSISTENT AND THE BULK AGAIN WILL GO TO TRADERS WHO ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE CONSISTENCY IN SUPPLY.
AND SO THE DA WILL REALLY HAVE TO STEP UP. AND JUST FOR THE INFORMATION AND THAT’S WHY WE WILL SEEK THE SUPPORT OF SENATOR BAM HERE, THE TWIN BILLS THAT WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE SPONSORING BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, WOULD BE THE EXTENSION SERVICE RENATIONALIZATION FOR THE DA, AND THE RETURN OR RE-ESTABLISHMENT TO THE BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE CO-OPS TO BE UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AMENDING THE CDA LAW AMONG OTHERS.
FOR PURPOSES OF MOVING FORWARD WE HOPE A CAPACITATED FARMER AND FISHERFOLK SECTOR WILL BE ABLE TO SUPPLY MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS SA LOCAL LEVEL – THAT IS WHAT WE ENVISION WITH THIS PROPOSED MEASURE.
MARAMING SALAMAT.