A neophyte congressman believes he knows a way to expedite the delivery of "ayuda" or government-sourced aid-slash-subsidy to the agriculture sector.
AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee is proposing an additional P521 million in the Department of Agriculture's allocation (DA) under the 2023 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) to streamline the effectivity of the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
In his letter to the House Committee on Appropriations, Lee sought more funding for the targeted activities of the RSBSA such as the complete profiling of farmers and fisherfolks, georeferencing of 846,000 hectares on top of the approved 353,800 hectares, and upgrading of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) network.
He sent the letter even as the small committee formed by the House leadership is set to convene to discuss the solons' proposed amendments to the GAB.
“It is crucial that farmers and fisherfolks register to the RSBSA so they can access DA’s services," Lee said.
"Sa pag-iikot ko sa mga probinsya, isa ito sa laging reklamo ng mga magsasaka. Kung hindi mali ang datos, yung iba, sa tagal man ng hinintay sa ayuda, hindi rin pala makakatanggap dahil wala sila sa listahan o hindi magkapareho yung nasa RSBSA sa listahan ng munisipyo (This is a common complaint from farmers in the countryside. Aside from being listed with the wrong data, they may not be listed at all or have dissimilar listings between the RSBSA and that of the municipality, resulting in their nonreceipt of ayuda),” Lee said.
“The requested additional amount is needed to complete the integration of other agri-fishery databases, such as the National Coconut Farmers Registry of the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Municipal Fisherfolk Registry of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,” he explained.
During Lee's interpellation on the proposed 2023 budget of the DA, the agency confirmed that farmers and fisherfolks must be registered to the RSBSA to receive their ayuda from the programs of the DA.
According to Lee, the requested increase in funding will also be used to fully integrate RSBSA with other national government agencies for data harmonization purposes such as the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) and the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
“Fixing the RSBSA will be essential in ensuring that farmers and fisherfolks even from the most remote regions of our country get the assistance they need especially during these trying times,” Lee pointed out.
“Sa listahan na ito nakasalalay lahat (It all boils down to this list). So I would really like to work with the DA on this.