Villar to continue programs for farmers, small fishermen

Former Speaker Manny Villar vowed to continue programs he started as top House leader that will benefit the country’s farmers and small fishermen.

"We must continue to address the needs of the agricultural sector, particularly our farmers and small fishermen as this is the backbone of our economy," said Villar.

During Villar’s term as Speaker, several bills to push the development of the local agricultural sector including the fisheries sub-sector were passed.

"A lot of work needs to be done to modernize our agricultural sector so it can provide for the food needs of Filipinos," stressed Villar.

Under his leadership, the House passed bills to provide safety nets to small farmers. These are the Countervailing Duties, Anti-Dumping Duties and Safeguard measures acts which were all passed into law.

The measures seek to provide safety nets to local industries, particularly the agricultural sector’s small farmers to enable them to expand their trade.

The House under Villar has also passed bills to increase the productivity of high value crops, put a price control on fertilizer used by farmers, as well as a measure that will increase the buying price of palay to give added income to grain farmers, among others.

For small fishermen, the House passed the Coastal Environment Program (CEP) bill that seeks to preserve marine life and protect it from destructive practices in order to ensure a sustainable harvest for fishermen.

"We must continue pro-agriculture programs to ensure the growth of our agricultural sector," said Villar.

Villar says he will continue to study possible areas of legislation to push the sector’s growth as it realizes its significance to the country’s economy since two thirds of Filipinos drive their income from agriculture.