Agriculture is RP’s best bet, says Villar

BAGUIO CITY — For Senate President Pro Tempore Manuel Villar, the agriculture sector is the country’s best bet to surmount the prevailing economic difficulties.

"No foreign investments are forthcoming, and the best strategy is to look into the domestic economy and see how to improve it — and the best way is through agriculture," said Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture.

He pushed for greater emphasis on fisheries and agriculture at the start the other day of a two-day evaluation of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) at the Concorde Hotel here.

He challenged the participants from the House, different agriculture-related agencies and non-government organizations to come up with creative or radical approaches to agriculture and fisheries.

"The outcome of the evaluation would affect the budget of the Department of Agriculture which the Senate will finalize on Monday," he said.

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Maranon, chairman of the House committee on agriculture, said the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law is the "biggest hindrance to the full development of agriculture."

Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles Jr., meanwhile, blamed the lack of funds for the non-development of agriculture.