Funds for the Farmers
By Ernesto Ordoñez
(Posted on the Philippine Daily Inquirer 06/26/2009)
WHEN IT COMES to funds for the farmers, the Department of Agriculture should be congratulated for getting the long delayed increase in its budget.
Last year, it got P28.4 billion, almost double the P15.8 billion it received in 2005. This year, it got P48.5 billion, including P2.5 billion from the Economic Stimulus Fund. This is more than triple the 2005 budget and almost double last year’s budget.
The question is: Are these funds really going to the farmers, or are they disappearing into more scandalous scams?
Accountability
It is the answer to this question that will determine whether the DA should be commended or chastised. But accountability should also extend to people’s organizations (POs) and nongovernment organizations (NGOs), which should take up the cudgels for the farmers who are the intended beneficiaries of these funds.
Alyansa Agrikultura, the largest coalition of farmer-fisherfolk POs, has not been remiss in this area. It has called on the National Agriculture Fishery Council (NAFC) to perform its identified function of monitoring the DA budget and programs (nafc.gov.ph). Since the NAFC has not met for a year and 5 months, how could it do this?
Thankfully, the NAFC finally met on June 17.
Discussions focused on the Agriculture Fishery and Modernization Act (Afma) portion -which is 70 percent – of the DA budget. The Alyansa participated as a recently appointed member, emphasizing the legally required NAFC function of private sector involvement in the budget process.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap commendably encouraged farmer participation in the follow-up discussions conducted by executive director Charito Imperial Sebastian of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization, currently co-chaired by Sen. Loren Legarda and Rep. Abraham Mitra.
It is hoped that the proposed systematic budget monitoring will expand from the Afma portion to the other portions of the DA budget.
Decentralized monitoring
Last June 24, the CODE-NGO, the largest coalition of nongovernment organizations, did its share in trying to help in the DA budget monitoring process. Led by executive director Sixto Donato Macasaet, it sponsored the “Forum on the 2009 Budget of the Department of Agriculture.” Representatives from the Senate and Congress were present.
Of special mention are Coop-Natco Rep. Jose Ping-ay and Amin Rep. Ariel Hernandez, who both advocated decentralized DA budget monitoring by the private sector, which has never been done.
Alyansa, which participated actively in this forum, specially through its member federation Pakisama, commended the method of decentralized private sector monitoring proposed by Ian Digal (0920-9516546) of the Mindanao Coalition of Development Networks.
Learning from Mindanao
As early as April 2008, Mincode sought the cooperation of the POs and NGOs in advocating private sector participation in DA budget formulation and monitoring. In February this year, two core groups (i.e.: six members in Region 11 and 10 members in Region 13) were formed to focus on this issue. This past month, the first meetings of the two core groups were held, and the next steps agreed upon.
Two of the important next steps both groups agreed upon independently were: Seek membership in their respective Agriculture Fishery Councils (AFCs) and roll out the budget monitoring activities to the provinces. Region 13 was even more specific in stating that these activities should be carried out up to the municipal and barangay levels where AFCs exist.
Recommendation
Last week, DA submitted its proposed budget of P60.3 billion for 2010. However, the Department of Budget and Management gave it an indicative budget ceiling of only P29 billion, which is less than 60 percent of what it received this year.
Should funds for the farmers in 2010 be increased or decreased? Definitely, funds should be increased because of the farmers’ long neglected legitimate needs.
But if DA funds will only disappear into larger scams, then the DA budget should be drastically reduced, and the unscrupulous officials prosecuted and jailed.
But this accountability should extend to the private sector. The NGOs and POs must support the many DA officials who are helping farmers through proper DA budget use.
A recommended way is to follow the Mincode model: Join the AFCs, and help ensure that the AFCs perform their function of budget monitoring, down to at least the municipal level. With an invigorated NAFC under Secretary Yap and Cocofam under executive director Sebastian supporting the farmers, DA funds will have a better chance of actually going to the farmers and the DA getting a bigger budget for 2010.
The year is halfway through, and no systematic monitoring of DA’s 2009 P48.5-billion budget by the private sector has been done. On July 8, Alyansa and CODE-NGO will present initial draft budget monitoring formats to the DA and NAFC for this purpose.
It is hoped they will get the consideration they deserve.