By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

While speaking before the 11th National Shrimp Congress yesterday at the SMX Convention Center at SM City Bacolod, Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol vowed to improve production in agriculture and the fisheries sector.

“There is no continuity in the Philippine agriculture and fisheries sector,” he stated.

The cabinet official explained, fisherfolk are unable to take advantage of the aquatic resources available throughout the country because the industry has been “long neglected” and “taken for granted” by the previous presidential administrations.

Piñol also took note of similar treatment when it comes to agriculture, saying the Philippines has been “left behind by other nations in food production.”

He took the example of rice, pointing out the Philippines is the leading country when it comes to rice research, yet the country is one of the leading rice importers.

“We are talking about rice sufficiency, yet we did not come up with a specific program,” the agriculture secretary noted. “What an irony.”

However, Piñol said domestic rice production has already improved, now able to provide 95.01 percent of the country’s total national requirement, an increase from the previous 89 percent.

The agriculture secretary projects the Philippines can reach self-sufficiency in rice by 2020.

In order to assure continued progress within the sectors, Piñol said the department takes steps to ensure funds are reaching the public, through strict policies on how allocations should be spent. He also said budget reviews are conducted quarterly and directors unable to reach specific spending quotas are let go.

The cabinet official noted, three top officials have already been sacked.

He added, unused funds mean they failed to deliver the necessary services to the agricultural and fisheries sectors./DGB, WDJ