Aspiring vice president Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan did not mince his words when he criticized the decision of the government to import sugar amid milling season, saying "this is not right." (Photo courtesy of LENI-KIKO 2022) Addressing the crowd during his visit in Balayan, Batangas with...
Senators on Thursday, February 10, chided the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agency, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), for their dependence on fish importation to address purported fish shortage that only supposedly benefit the rich. Senator Cynthia Villar, Senate...
Importation is a lazy solution to the issue of food shortage, senatorial candidate Herbert Bautista said on Tuesday, February 8. Bautista, a former Quezon City mayor, pointed this out as he expressed disappointment over the Department of Agriculture's (DA) decision to greenlight the importation of...
If she wins the presidency in May 2022, Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, Jan. 31, said she will change the importation mindset and do so only when there is an actual shortage of products essential to Filipinos. Vice President Leni Robredo (OVP photo) This is possible if the country...
As government’s plan to import pelagic fishes faced strong criticism, House Deputy Speaker and Buhay partylist Rep. Lito Atienza said this Department of Agriculture decision can be placed on the backdrop of President Rodrigo Duterte’s failure to deliver on a campaign promise. Rep. Lito Atienza3...
The Department of Finance believes the Philippines should continue to import pork as the local hog industry has yet to recover from the African swine (ASF) outbreak. Finance Undersecretary and Chief Economist Gil S. Beltran said on Thursday, Jan. 13, that the country “definitely” needs to...
The Philippine agriculture sector has been most neglected under the Duterte Administration, with stakeholders mostly bearing the brunt of the government’s pro-importation policy, a group alleged. Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) Chairman Rosendo So said this government is “brutally...
Farmers and fishermen fear the worst if more imported food will enter the Philippines next year, asking the government for a more pro-producer policy when it comes to food security and availability. In a briefing hosted by food security Tugon Kabuhayan, Raul Montemayor, national manager at...
Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, Dec. 6, said she will back the passage of a bill that will protect the Cordillera ancestral domain, adding that indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) must be included in public consultations for the use of their ancestral land. Vice...
The government will distribute direct cash assistance of P5,000 to as many as 59,125 farmers in Nueva Ecija to be funded from the excess rice import tariff collection under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). The Department of Agriculture (DA) formally launched this week RCEF’s Rice...
Navotas Fish Port Complex (NFPC), the largest fish port in Southeast Asia, has reported its second-highest unloading in 2021 amid the ongoing government-approved fish importation. 43809 In its latest report, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) said NFPC has recorded its second-highest...
The Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) said that instead of expanding the market areas for imported pork under the minimum access volume (MAV) plus scheme, the Department of Agriculture (DA) should just allow the sale of frozen meat in wet markets. 41969 "PAMPI had previously...
