AGAINST THE GRAIN | Mixed reactions aired over Marcos’ decision to be agriculture chief

June 21, 2022 , 11:03 AM

(June 21, 2022) – Sectoral groups, public officials, and netizens have expressed mixed reactions over the decision of President-elect Bongbong Marcos Jr. to head the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the meantime as the country braces for a looming food crisis.

Outgoing DA secretary William Dar supported the decision of Marcos to take the helm of the agency, positive that the agriculture sector will receive a larger budget for its programs.

“This is the brand of politics we have been advocating since we assumed office in 2019,” said Dar in a press conference on Tuesday. “We’re more than willing to brief and assist President-elect Bongbong Marcos in our joint aspiration to attain food security and food sovereignty.”

Joey Concepcion, the outgoing presidential adviser for entrepreneurship, said the leadership of Marcos would help both farmers and micro, small, and medium enterprises. He likewise touted the agriculture programs under the late dictator such as Masagana 99 and Kadiwa stores.

But Amihan, a peasant women’s group, stressed that the negative impacts of the said programs should not be forgotten, describing them as an “epic failure” that led to bankruptcy and farmers’ displacement.

“Papatayin talaga sa gutom ang mga magsasaka. Hangga’t liberalisado ang agrikultura at dependent ang bansa sa importasyon, at nagreresulta ito ng pagkalugi, pagkawala ng kabuhayan ng mga magsasaka, ay kailanma’y hindi magkakaroon ng national food security,” said Amihan secretary general Cathy Estavillo.

Masagana 99 has been largely described by experts as “both a success and a failure” due to its share of deficiencies. Issues with sustainability and credit system hampered the success of the program, according to a panel of experts in a webinar in September 2020.

Some netizens also echoed the position of Amihan in raising concerns about the possibility that the aforementioned policies may be reintroduced once again now that Marcos wants to directly head the DA, albeit temporarily.

A reminder in light of Marcos Jr’s announcement that he would serve as DA Sec “for the meantime”: https://t.co/TRFCXYPpXd

— karl #MarcosMamamatayTao (@eicvsfascism) June 20, 2022

What does this mean for PH Agri?

– Fullblown lib is already underway via DA orders and trade policies. Dar’s work, if continued by Marcos Jr, will make local producers suffer.
– Marcos Jr, conniving w/ landgrabbers will intensify land-use conversions for foreign gain. (3/n)

— patrick (@patrickjosefdc) June 20, 2022

Anong alam ni Marcos sa Agriculture? Im sure wala dahil if he has knowledge on the subj di sana campaign palang sinabi na niya plans nya.

Ang laki ng Coco Levy Fund. Ang obvious ng galaw. Salamat sa “31M” who made it possible for him to access our funds. Congrats mga tanga. https://t.co/Q1HbFm4DOY

— nikki (@macronikki) June 20, 2022

Others also pointed out that policies favoring the landlords and rich stakeholders will likely continue with Marcos as DA chief and Sen. Cynthia Villar as the chairperson of the Senate panel on agriculture, fearing the farmers will be left behind.

Ang tanging alam ni Marcos Jr. ay pestihin ang sektor ng agrikultura. Him being the Agriculture Secretary and Cynthia Villar as Senate Committee on Agriculture Chair, we have nothing to expect but neoliberal policies favoring landlords and agri importers. https://t.co/EizCiJZUI2

— ☭ (@kaliweti) June 20, 2022

There’s only one thing worse than having Cynthia Villar as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, and it’s Marcos Jr. being the Agriculture Secretary. We all know that the Marcoses favor land owners, not our farmers. https://t.co/HSVfU2dbXX

— gean #LabanKabataan (@geanceee) June 20, 2022

I wonder what Sen. Cynthia Villar is thinking right now that PBB Marcos will manage the Department of Agriculture. “The game is on.”

— MR. HOLMES (@BakerStrLondon) June 20, 2022

But some agriculture groups such as Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura and the United Broilers Raisers Association are hopeful that Marcos’ leadership would help improve the sector.

Marcos, who vowed to reduce the price of rice to P20, said he would focus on increasing agricultural production locally to help the country shift its reliance on importation. He also seeks to restructure the DA to make it more responsive.

But Pamalakaya expressed doubt that Marcos would be able to resolve the problems of the agricultural sector, citing his lack of clear plans.

“He should take decisive measures that will strengthen and uplift the productivity of local farmers and fisheries across the country. Embracing the same liberalization policies of his predecessor William Dar will further bankrupt the agri-fisheries sector,” said Pamalakaya.

(PM)

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