1-Pacman Party-list Rep. Mikee Romero has filed a measure in the 19th Congress that seeks to increase funding for the Department of Agriculture (DA), which incidentally is headed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Through his House Bill (HB) No.857, Romero wants to provide the DA with additional funding as well as increase its yearly allotment.
The former deputy speaker is specifically pushing for an additional P20 billion for three agency "to promote all related measures to modernize and improve the agriculture and fisheries sector".
"The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is hereby mandated to include annually in the next three years, in the President’s program of expenditures for submission to Congress, and release, an additional amount of for the implementation of this Act," read the bill.
This "program of expenditures", otherwise known as the National Expenditure Program or NEP, is the precursor to the general appropriations act (GAA) or national budget.
There is heightened focus on the DA and agriculture in general following Marcos's earlier pronouncements of the need to address a looming food supply crisis. That's a big part of the reason why the Chief Executive decided to take over the DA for the time being.
According to Romero, the agriculture sector covers the production of rice, sugarcane, coconut, abaca, fruits, corn, and rubber.
He said these products contribute immensely to the country’s economy and livelihood of many Filipinos, thus the need to strengthen the sector via additional fudnting.
Romero further said that, based on World Bank statistics in 2013, the Philippine agriculture sector employs 30 percent of the local work force. That year, agriculture accounted for 12 percent of Philippine gross domestic product or GDP.