Sunday, September 09, 2007 DA assures lawmakers of 30% fund share for Mindanao farms
AGRICULTURE Secretary Arthur Yap assured legislators that the Department of Agriculture (DA) is implementing a broad range of programs and projects meant to buoy farm productivity and profitability in Mindanao in keeping with the unwavering commitment of the President to devote 30 percent of DA program funds to the South.
Given the "realities on the ground," Yap said the DA will have to implement these projects or intervention measures-in sync with the Palace commitment to funnel 30 percent of the department's program funds to Mindanao-depending on the unique or particular needs of each and every congressional district.
Yap said he will continue meeting and consulting with House members representing Mindanao in the hope of working out the individual projects and intervention measures that will meet these lawmakers' specific agricultural concerns in their respective congressional districts.
He said a line-by-line scrutiny of the DA's program funds for both locally-funded and foreign-assisted projects will prove to legislators that the department has been fully carrying out-and will continue to carry out-the President's budgetary commitment to Mindanao.
He noted that higher public spending on agriculture in Mindanao is an "imperative" because of the pivotal role that the South plays in the Arroyo administration's commitment to keep this sector on a sustained, high growth path and make agriculture a highly profitable venture for small farmers, fisherfolk and other stakeholders.
Yap issued this statement in response to an earlier report that certain Mindanao solons have fretted that the DA was reneging on the commitment of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to set aside 30 percent of agricultural spending for the South.
