Villar: Nothing wrong with converting farmland to homes, factories

Senator Cynthia Villar said on Tuesday that there was nothing wrong with converting the country's farmland for residential and commercial use so long as this was done in the cities.

During a Senate hearing of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, which she chairs, Villar said her visit to Israel showed her that technology—not land and water—was key to the success of the farming industry.

"Alam ninyo, sa Israel wala silang lupa, disyerto sila kaya hina-hang nila ang kanilang plants sa air kasi 'di puwede ang lupa nila, disyerto. Wala silang tubig. Ang tubig lang nila nanggagaling sa ocean, salty. So dine-desalinate nila," she said.

Despite the lack of these resources, the senator said Israel was a net exporter of vegetables in the Middle East.

"Hindi kailangan ng lupa, hindi kailangan ng tubig to be successful in farming. So 'yung sinasabi na huwag daw i-covert ang farmland para magtayo ng bahay at huwag i-convert ang farmland para magtayo ng factory mali iyon," she said.

"Kung 'yung mga cities, we can build homes, small homes for Filipinos para may bahay naman sila hindi sila squatter and then if we can build factories in the cities all over the Philipines para magkaroon ng alternative employment ang mga tao," Villar went on to say.

"'Yung labas ng syudad, 'yun ang gawing farmland. Hindi naman lahat gustong i-convert to homes and commercial, 'yung mga city lang 'yun eh. So bakit ipagbabawal 'yun eh importante din 'yun sa ekonomiya?" she added.

The Villar family owns property developer Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. which is the mother company of home builder Camella Homes. — DVM, GMA News