The Department of Agriculture (DA) presented its case before the House plenary on Monday in defense of its proposed P50 million confidential funds for the next year. The DA argued that these funds are necessary to combat smuggling and price manipulation of agricultural and fishery commodities.
Isabela 1st District Rep. Antonio “Tonypet” Albano, the DA’s budget sponsor in the House of Representatives, explained that the allocated amount would cover rewards for informants who provide tips to apprehend smugglers, as well as operational expenses such as vehicle rentals, internet expenses, intelligence summits, and coordination meetings.
Albano emphasized the importance of food security, stating that food insecurity destabilizes the economy and affects marginalized communities. Agri-fisheries smuggling is identified as a major threat to food security and government revenues, which is why the DA seeks a budget of P50 million to combat this issue.
Kabataan Party List Rep. Raoul Manuel expressed skepticism, pointing out that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also monitors against price manipulation of basic commodities but does not request confidential funds. He questioned why the DA couldn’t adopt a similar approach without requesting confidential funds.
Albano defended the request, stating that the P50 million is a necessary investment to fight price manipulation, smuggling, and related issues within the Department of Agriculture.
The debate also touched on the number of undersecretaries and assistant secretaries within the DA, with concerns raised about their numbers. Albano clarified that the current administration has fewer undersecretaries than the previous one, and he committed to substantially reducing vacant positions by the end of the year.
AGRI Party List Rep. Wilbert Lee raised concerns about the slow utilization of the budget for major post-harvest programs in the current year, with a significant portion of the allocated funds remaining unutilized. Albano acknowledged the issue and stated that the DA would explore streamlining requirements to ensure farmers can access the programs more easily.
The plenary debates on the DA’s proposed 2024 budget were terminated in the lower House on Monday evening.
