Cynthia Villar: DA chief should have heart for farmers, fisherfolk

With President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. still serving as the country’s agriculture chief, Senator Cynthia Villar over the weekend said any appointee who would take over the post should have a heart for farmers and fisherfolk.

Villar on Sunday said there are quite “good” candidates for the position, but not all are empathetic to the stakeholders of the local agriculture industry.

“Ang gusto ko lang po, if ever mag-a-appoint sila, ‘yung may heart talaga sa mga farmers kasi maraming magagaling pero hindi talaga mahal ang agriculture at hindi mahal ang mga farmer at tsaka magsasaka,” she said in an interview on GMA Super Radyo DZBB on Sunday.

“So sana ‘yung ma-appoint ay talagang may heart for the farmers and the fishermen,” added Villar, who also heads the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food.

(What I only what is that if ever they appoint someone, they choose one who has a heart for farmers because there are a lot who are good but do not really love agriculture, do not love farmers. Hopefully the appointee will really have a heart for the farmers and fishermen.)

Marcos in June took leadership of the Department of Agriculture (DA), which he said signified that the administration had agriculture as a “high priority.”

Just last week he said he will only leave his post when structural changes to the department have been made, adding that it would “take a president to change and turn it around.”

Prices of agricultural goods have increased recently, with sugar soaring to over P100 per kilogram in select markets in Metro Manila. This is expected to fall to P85 per kilo as imports arrive under Sugar Order No.2.

Senator Risa Hontiveros has called on Marcos to appoint a full-time Agriculture Secretary, citing the need for a point person who will oversee the agency and ensure food security.

“Ako, hindi ako nagco-comment diyan kasi alam mo iba-iba ang president. May sarili silang style of governance diba, hindi natin pinangungunahan ang presidente,” Villar said Sunday.

(I do not comment on that because we know that presidents have their own style of governance right, we do not go over the president.)

Villar on Sunday also said that she prefers that 40% of the DA’s budget go to developmental projects which will cover research and overhead costs of farmers, along with the mechanization.

“Alam ko naman na hirap ang Pilipinas sa pera ngayon because mahirap ang pagkita ng pera para sa gobyerno. Ang gusto ko lang ay better implementation. ‘Yun ang aking pinaglalaban,” she said.

(I know that the Philippines is in a tough spot because the government is finding difficulty in raising revenues. What I want is better implementation. That is what I am fighting for.) — BM, GMA News