Melody M. AguibaManila BulletinFebruary 17, 2011MANILA, Philippines – The government is facilitating the restructuring of some P900 million worth of loan under the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) even as loan releases have been suspended due to borrowers’ default.The Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) and the

Press ReleaseFebruary 16, 2011Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan together with the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) council create a committee consisting of representatives from the Development Bank of the Philippines, the private sector, the Senate, Congress, and Department of Agriculture to evaluate the lending scheme of the

Edu PunayThe Philippine StarFebruary 16, 2011MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) rejected yesterday Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez’s bid to stop Congress from hearing the impeachment cases filed against her by two militant groups for her alleged inaction on corruption and human rights cases involving former President and now Pampanga Rep.

Press ReleaseFebruary 15, 2011Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan today lauds the administration’s release of P50 million which will be used by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to properly implement the Juvenile Justice Law.“We thank PNoy, DBM Secretary Butch Abad, DOJ Secretary Leila De Lima, and DSWD Secretary Dinky

Press StatementFebruary 15, 2011We welcome the Supreme Court’s ruling on the impeachment case against the Ombudsman. There was this growing perception that the Supreme Court was taking the cudgels for former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whose administration has cases that have been gathering dust in the Ombudsman. We also welcome the

Kristine L. AlavePhilippine Daily InquirerFebruary 11, 2011MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Agriculture (DA) has suspended the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) after an audit showed it missed its target beneficiaries—poor farmers and fishermen.Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the DA stopped the lending program—which allows small farmers and fisher folk to take

Press ReleaseFebruary 13, 2011Roberto Amores, the President of Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization Inc. (PhilFoodex) and one of the biggest mango processor in the Philippines is sitting in on a discussion on the state of fruits and vegetables sector during the first national summit on agriculture and fisheries. He

People’s JournalFebruary 13, 2011     

GMANews.TVFebruary 11, 2011The Congressional oversight committee on agriculture and fisheries modernization (COCAFM) is pushing for an increase of the Agriculture Department’s annual budget to P60 billion to fund the 15-year agriculture and fisheries roadmap.”We will provide the legislative support to increase the Agriculture Department’s budget starting 2012,” COCAFM chairman Sen.