Kiko Pangilinan hits DPWH for 'ignorance on plight of farmers'

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis Pangilinan on Friday criticized the Department of Public Works and Highways for warning that drying palay or other produce on national roads is punishable by law.

In an advisory released last week, DPWH Western Visayas warned that drying of farm products on roads is “totally banned in order to safeguard the motorist from any untoward incident.”

Violators may pay a fine of not more than 1,000 pesos or may face a jail time of not exceeding six months.  

Pangilinan noted that the agency’s advisory stems from people’s lack of knowledge on the real plight of Filipino farmers.

“The DPWH order to jail and fine small farmers does not only insult them but it shows the ignorance on the plight of farmers,” Pangilinan said in a statement.

The senator, who was a presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization during the previous administration, stressed that farmers would not dry their palay on roads if there were sufficient drying facilities.

“If there were public mechanical drying systems, especially those that use solar energy, then our famers would not use cemented roads to dry their palay because they know it is inefficient, that many of their palay go to waste,” Pangilinan said.

He cited a 2010 government study that showed 5.9 percent of harvested palay is wasted because of inefficient drying methods.

The senator then called on the government not to pick on small farmers. — Gaea Katreena Cabico