By Alexandria San Juan
Senator Cynthia Villar clarified on Wednesday that she was not against research works, following the public backlash against her remarks on the Department of Agriculture's (DA) high budget on corn study last week.
Sen. Cynthia Villar
(Senate of the Philippines / File Photo / MANILA BULLETIN) "Hindi ako against research, I want research that can be applied. There should be an application para makita natin na yung research natin ay worthwhile kasi kung hindi man natin mai-a-apply yung research, wala ring use 'yun," Villar said in a forum in Quezon City on Wednesday. (I am not against research, I want research that can be applied. There should be an application for us to check that our research is worthwhile because if we cannot apply the research, it is just useless.) The senator drew flak for criticizing the DA, a Senate budget hearing, for allotting a huge part of its budget for the research component of National Corn Program. During the budget hearing, a visibly irked Villar chided at the DA for being "crazy on research." "I look at the budget of the DA, hindi naman pwedeng puro research at walang application of the research. I was telling them that if you have a budget divide it--half of the budget should be research and the other half should be the application of the research and what is its impact to the farmers," Villar told reporters. (I look at the budget of the DA, it cannot be purely research and no application. I was telling them that if they have a budget divide it--half should be for research and the other half should be for application and its impact to the farmers.) The senate committee chair on agriculture and food pointed out the need to apply the research being conducted by the agency on farming communities to improve the life and industry of agriculture. "You have to apply research for the benefit or for the good of the people and the agriculture," she added.
Sen. Cynthia Villar(Senate of the Philippines / File Photo / MANILA BULLETIN) "Hindi ako against research, I want research that can be applied. There should be an application para makita natin na yung research natin ay worthwhile kasi kung hindi man natin mai-a-apply yung research, wala ring use 'yun," Villar said in a forum in Quezon City on Wednesday. (I am not against research, I want research that can be applied. There should be an application for us to check that our research is worthwhile because if we cannot apply the research, it is just useless.) The senator drew flak for criticizing the DA, a Senate budget hearing, for allotting a huge part of its budget for the research component of National Corn Program. During the budget hearing, a visibly irked Villar chided at the DA for being "crazy on research." "I look at the budget of the DA, hindi naman pwedeng puro research at walang application of the research. I was telling them that if you have a budget divide it--half of the budget should be research and the other half should be the application of the research and what is its impact to the farmers," Villar told reporters. (I look at the budget of the DA, it cannot be purely research and no application. I was telling them that if they have a budget divide it--half should be for research and the other half should be for application and its impact to the farmers.) The senate committee chair on agriculture and food pointed out the need to apply the research being conducted by the agency on farming communities to improve the life and industry of agriculture. "You have to apply research for the benefit or for the good of the people and the agriculture," she added.