House Speaker Martin Romualdez has threatened to have alleged hoarders of onions and other agricultural goods arrested if they refuse to participate in the congresssional inquiry on the soaring prices of the commodities. House Speaker Martin Romualdez stand up to get his point across during his...
Senator Imee Marcos on Tuesday, January 31, said smugglers and other criminals guilty of large-scale agricultural sabotage, after years of evasion and bribery, should be clapped in jail for life. Marcos emphasized this after saying she is distraught about hearing smuggling allegations "knowing only...
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan that aims to help the government expand economic opportunities in agriculture. In a statement on Friday, Jan. 27, the Manila-based multilateral institution said the bank approved a $500 million policy-based loan to the Philippines that seeks to...
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito has filed a bill seeking to amend the existing law on anti-agricultural smuggling saying it is necessary to provide stringent provisions against hoarders, profiteering traders who engage in hoarding, profiteering and cartel of prime agricultural products such...
Officials and personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA)--including clerks and security guards--ought to be subjected to a thorough, top to bottom lifestyle check. Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes (Screenshot from Facebook) Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray...
The names of alleged big-time smugglers continue to reverberate in the halls of Philippine Congress, this time in the House of Representatives. Sultan Kudarat 2nd district Rep. Horacio Suansing Jr. (PPAB) Suldan Kudarat 2nd district Rep. Horacio Suansing Jr., during a House Committee on Ways and...
Agriculture stakeholders "should be given a seat at the table" in the government's fight against agricultural smuggling. AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee (Facebook) Thus, said AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee as he called for greater collaboration between the government and the agriculture...
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday, January 18 called for the creation of an agricultural information system (AIS) to deter price manipulation of basic food items such as onion, which has recently seen record high levels. Gatchalian said having an AIS in place could prevent any artificial...
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday, January 17 reiterated his push for the passage of a bill that seeks to promote digital transformation in government in order to help eliminate agricultural smuggling. Go is referring to Senate Bill No. 194 or the proposed E-Governance Act of 2022, which...
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), through Secretary Benhur Abalos, has supported the Kapatid Angat Lahat for Agriculture Program (KALAP), a private sector-led initiative which aims to help the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the agricultural...
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda says that the closure of Subic Port should be "seriously considered" if only to address the alleged rampant agricultural smuggling there. Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda "Unless Subic Port cleans up its act, we should seriously consider just closing the...
A neophyte congressman wants government officials who are allegedly involved in agricultural smuggling probed and subsequently punished if proven guilty. AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee (Facebook) "Kailangan ding imbestigahan at mapanagot ang mga nasa pamahalaan na may mga link sa...