Government allocates P202 million to boost rice yields

MANILA, Philippines — To help boost the rice production of farmers, the government has allocated to the rehabilitation of post-harvest facilities the P202-million budget provided by the Japanese government, Secretary to the Cabinet Karlo Nograles said yesterday.

Nograles said the total amount of P202,020,137.13 was used to construct diversion dam, main canal, laterals, drainage canal structures, drainage structures, on-farm structures and covered the construction of service roads and offices of the irrigators’ association.

“Our farmers in the towns of Narra and Aborlan in Palawan will benefit immensely from the newly-renovated Malatgao River Irrigation System and Post-Harvest Facilities. This project was made possible through the efforts of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) with funding from the Japan International Copperation Agency (JICA),” he said.

An estimated 1,585 farmers stand to benefit from the free improved irrigation facilities while around 3,014.74 hectares of farmland will be covered in the towns of Narra and Aborlan in Palawan.

The improved post-harvest facilities and the 12 new offices of the irrigators’ association will help farmers avoid spoilage of their palay harvests. The offices in particular can serve as meeting venues for the farmers.

“The Duterte administration is working hard to uplift the agriculture sector. We will improve the lives of farmers by providing a comprehensive range of assistance covering pre-planting up to post-harvest,” said Nograles, who was the guest speaker last Monday during the inauguration and turnover ceremonies of the irrigation project in Narra town.

“This important project aims to increase palay yield in the area, which is considered the ‘rice granary’ of Palawan. We intend to strengthen the irrigation operation and management systems through improved facilities and focused assistance to the local irrigators’ association. Our ultimate aim is to produce a steady supply of rice and improve the livelihood of our farmers,” he added.

The administration expects to double the existing amount of assistance to ensure farm productivity in key areas such as Palawan, according to the Palace executive.

Palawan was one of the worst-hit provinces when Typhoon Yolanda struck in 2013, having suffered massive destruction of farm properties and agriculture support infrastructure.

“We haven’t forgotten the need to rehabilitate, years after Yolanda, that’s why we continue to pour funds to improve irrigation, build facilities and establish sustainable livelihood programs to help affected citizens,” Nograles said.

“We will achieve the twin goals of food security and improvement of farmer’s livelihoods through these initiatives. The government is on course to implement similar programs in other areas,” he added.

Additional aid

As this developed, Sen. Imee Marcos has assured rice farmers of P6.9 billion in additional aid by December, in the form of palay purchases or cash, using undisbursed funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Marcos allayed worries that a memorandum of agreement among the DSWD, Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Food Authority to purchase palay from local farmers “was held in abeyance” following a Supreme Court (SC) decision in October preventing budget allocations for items not specified in the national budget through a mere resolution in Congress.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives had earlier approved joint resolutions to convert cash aid from the DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) into rice, to be bought from local farmers unable to compete with cheap rice imports.

The SC ruling in the case of Ang Nars party list vs. the Executive Secretary, et al., however, would require that the law enacting this year’s national budget, the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA), be amended before the relief measure could be implemented.

“The Senate hopes to amend the 4Ps allocations in the GAA by December, before the rice harvest season ends and unspent budget reverts to the general fund,” Marcos said.

“As we speak, both Houses are rushing a bill, in  compliance with the new Supreme Court ruling to amend GAA 2019, I am confident it will pass in time,” she added.

The P6.9-billion aid from the DSWD budget answers President Duterte’s call on lawmakers to help local rice farmers adjust to the rice tariffication law during the harvest season and will augment the P5,000 cash assistance promised by the DA before Christmas, according to Marcos.