Agriculture chief vows bigger budget for BFAR fishing boats

MANILA, Philippines —  Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has promised as bigger budget for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to fund the construction of 75-footer fishing boats as part of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and BFAR’s capacitating municipal fisherfolk program.

“It will surely increase fisheries production and the fishermen have a better chance to earn more,” Tiu Laurel said in an interview after the distribution of 15 units of 62-footer fishing boats to fishers’ associations in Carmen, Cebu.

He added that he has yet to compute the additional income for fishers but gave assurance that it will be significant once the P600 million 62-footer fishing boats totaling 66 units are completed and distributed to the beneficiaries.

According to Tiu Laurel, he already directed BFAR officer-in-charge Isidro Velayo Jr. to build two initial 75-footer fishing boats which means a bigger budget for the BFAR to fund the distribution of 75-footer fishing boats.

“What is important is they can earn with these bigger boats. They can have enough income to support the family to live comfortably and send their children to school. This is more important. As far as return of investment, this is a gift from the government. At least they can recover the cost of gasoline and fishing gear and will be able to maintain (the operation of the boats),” he added.

Tiu Laurel noted that the program of DA and BFAR is sustainable, as it will not deplete the oceans.

“It will only catch basically surface water up to a certain depth and will not reach the corals. It’s sustainable,” he noted.

PhilHealth excess funds

Rep. Joey Salceda sees no problem with the Department of Finance (DOF)’s plan to utilize “excess funds” from the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) for purposes of funding unprogrammed appropriations of the national government.

“We can’t have excess money sleeping around our GOCCs (government-owned and controlled corporations) while withholding that same money from public investment. Low government spending reduces growth. Reduced growth creates poverty. Poverty creates hunger. Hunger creates disease,” Salceda explained.

“Anyway, PhilHealth will get a subsidy for 2025 – and budget season is about to start. If it can spend all that money next year, then there is nothing for the DOF to withdraw. No issue,” he said.

“The GAAs (General Appropriations Acts) under President Marcos have already given PhilHealth P162 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies. If there’s still excess money, then that means we have too much subsidies,” Salceda theorized.

DSWD budget

Nearly half of the P229.3 billion budget proposed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for 2025 will go to its flagship program Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Assistant Secretary for external assistance and development Juan Carlo Marquez said.

This is borne out of the prioritization of the “social protection” projects under the Marcos administration, which gave instructions to increase the benefits and if possible expand beneficiaries.

“We are studying on the amendments of the law to increase benefits and expand the list of the 4.4 million beneficiaries who have already been given the 4Ps grants, all for the purpose of addressing stunting and malnutrition,” he said.

Speaker Martin Romualdez said the administration’s proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 will be the top priority of the House of Representatives when Congress resumes session on July 22.

Rep. Zaldy Co, chairman of the House appropriations committee, said the House is fully prepared to receive the approved 2025 National Expenditure Program prepared by the economic managers of the Chief Executive, which the Department of Budget and Management will submit to Congress.