Senator Cynthia Villar scolded Tuesday an official from the Philippine Carabao Center's (PCC) for the agency's "failure" to boost local milk production and its dismal performance in helping the country's dairy industry.
(Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Villar, chairperson of the Senate agriculture and food, was seething with dismay as she inquired into the state of the country's dairy industry, which she pointed out has not been responding to the Filipinos' demands for years.
In her disappointment, she said that if she were leading the agency, she would have considered committing suicide out of shame.
"Bakit naman ang production natin ng milk is 0.6 percent ng demand, 99.4 percent ini-import natin? After 28 years? My God, kung ako ang head niyan at ganyan ang performance ko, magsu-suicide na ako (Why is our milk production only 0.6 percent of our demand, and we are importing 99.4 percent? After 28 years? My God, if I were the head of the PCC and I have such a performance, I would commit suicide)," Villar said during the hearing.
"Magsu-suicide ako. Nakakahiya, nakakahiya (I will commit suicide. This is embarassing, really embarassing)," she added.
Before this, Villar questioned PCC Executive Director Dr. Arnel del Barrio for allocating funds for the government's milk feeding program, stressing that it was not among the mandates of the agency under the existing law.
Del Barrio said at least P28 million is being allocated so the agency could "participate actively" in the feeding programs of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for this year under the Republic Act No. 11037, or the "Masustansyang Pagkain Para Sa Batang Filipino Act".
"Can I interject there? Nang isulat namin ang batas, hindi ikaw ang gagasta doon sa feeding (When we crafted the law, we were not intending that you spend for the feeding program). Ang sabi doon bibili lang sa inyo (What it said was that they will just buy from you). We're providing you a market, bakit sasabihin niyo ngayon na ikaw ang magfe-feeding (why would you tell us that you will do the feeding)?" Villar said, stressing that the DepEd and the DSWD should be the primary implementors of the national feeding program.
Before the PCC official could finish his response, Villar told Del Barrio, "Ginagawa niyo na namang reason 'yon para hindi mo gawin ang trabaho mo eh (You are making that your excuse so you won't do your job)!"
"Huwag mo sasabihin sakin na ilagagay mo ang budget mo sa feeding (Don't tell me that you are putting your budget on the feeding program), you are not in charge of feeding!"
"Kahit sabihin ko sa iyo dapat gawin eh ayaw kang sumunod eh. Kaya failure kayo eh (Even if I tell you what you should be doing, you keep on disobeying. That's why you are a failure)," she continued.
Under the law, the DepEd and the DSWD should "coordinate" with the Department of the Agriculture, the National Dairy Authority (NDA) and the PCC to incorporate fresh milk and fresh-milk based products in the meals that would be provided for the children, "utilizing, as far as practicable, locally produced milk" to also help boost livelihood opportunities for local dairy farmers and industry.
Villar also hit the PCC's allocation for "piles of" research, maintaining that it is useless until it is applied to the benefit of the sector.
"Aanhin mo yang research na 'yan kung di mo ina-apply sa mga projects natin (What will do do with that research if you are not applying it to our projects)? Research is how you will produce more carabao, di ba (isn't it)? Or how you will make your carabao produce more milk. Oh, paano mo ngayon ma-apply yang research na 'yan kung di ka nagpopruce ng carabao at hindi nagpoproduce yong carabao ng more milk (how then will you apply it if you are not able to produce more carabaos and those carabaos aren't producing more milk)?"
"Bakit mo uubusin ang pera mo sa research na walang application (Why will you spend money for research that you will not apply)?" she said.
Villar likewise berated the PCC for supposedly not spending her P270-million discretionary funds for the projects that she deemed necessary to improve the Philippines' milk production, such as the construction of processing centers and purchase of equipment.
She said the PCC had asked for a P10-million budget to build a processing center but the agency ended up realigning the money.
"Entitlement ko iyon, 'yon ang pinili kong prject, sa dinami-dami ng projects na hinihingi sa akin sa buong Pilipinas binigay ko sa kanya yong aking P270 million. Tapos hindi ma-implement, sino ba namang hindi magagalit diyan," Villar said.
Earlier in the hearing, Del Barrio said that they have accomplished "almost 60 percent" of the projects sponsored by Villar.
He also reported that the country's dairy performance grew by 9.3 percent in the first quarter, and six percent in second quarter of this year, based on a report by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Del Barrio clarified to Villar that the PCC is doing its "ultimate" mandate to help buffalo based-enterprises in the country.