A last-minute switch in the list of farm-to-market road (FMR) projects worth P8.9 million under the Department of Agriculture (DA) budget was approved by the bicameral conference committee (bicam) on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

This happened even after the bicam already approved the agency's budget last Dec. 13. It was made possible through a letter and a new list of FMR projects from Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr.

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan disclosed on Wednesday, Dec. 13, that Laurel submitted to him a list of FMR projects with coordinates still worth P33 billion. The difference is, there's a new list of FMR projects worth P8.9 billion in his submission that was not in the original budget they had earlier approved.

But this was questioned by Senator Loren Legarda, who said that this new list should have been in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) in the first place if they are indeed essential to the farmers.

"So anong mangyayari po sa sa FMRs na sinumite ng DA na inaprubahan ng (House General Appropriations Bill) HGAB, na inaprubahan po natin, tapos papalitan dahil sa isang sulat? (So what will happen to the FMRs submitted by the DA that were approved by the HGAB and approved by the Senate, only to be replaced because of a single letter?)" Legarda said.

"May switching, may swap (There's switching and swapping)...If we will make this a habit, then every agency will change: 'pareho naman ang level e, papalitan namin ng laman' (they’re on the same level anyway—we’ll just replace the contents)," she added.

Pangilinan said that if there are members of the bicam who are against this new list, they can stick to the projects that they approved on Dec. 13, which also have coordinates.

Legarda then asked the reason for changing the projects at the last minute.

It turned out that the initial list of FMRs submitted was not authorized, as it was filed while Laurel was on medical leave and therefore did not have his approval. But it remains unclear at what point in time the list was found out to be unauthorized since it already went through a series of scrutiny from the House, and the Senate for the past six months.

Lawmakers only learned that it was unauthorized during the bicam.

"I have to express my disappointment and exasperation. There has to be some discipline in government," Legarda said.

"Di ba sa eskuwela pinag-aral tayo finished or not finished, pass your paper. Kapag na-graduhan na ng teacher, tama na...How can we be a good example to the people, if sa bicam nagpapalit? (Weren’t we taught in school about finished or not finished, about pass your paper? Once the teacher has graded it, that’s it—it’s final...How can we be a good example to the people if, in the bicam, the budget is still being changed?)" she added.

In a portion of Laurel's letter read by House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep. Mikaela Angela "Mika" Suansing, he said that the new projects were selected based on their readiness for implementation, consistency with national and regional development priorities and their projected contribution to enhancing agricultural productivity, minimizing post-harvest losses and expanding market access for farmers in priority areas.

As pointed out as well by Senate Finance Chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, it's not known if the act of submitting last-minute changes is a regular practice in the bicam since it's only been livestreamed recently, unlike in the previous years.

Legarda emphasized that agencies should not acquire the habit of submitting changes to the budget at the last minute. Pangilinan and Suansing agreed that this should not be the norm.

The new list was later adopted and approved.

In the interest of transparency, Gatchalian said the bicam would publish the amendments made to the FMR budget, reflecting the contingents’ commitment to also upload the list of amendments approved during the meeting.