PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE

MISSION: AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE FOOD

by EMMANUEL F. PIÑOL

To make food available, farmers and fisherfolk must produce enough for 105 million Filipinos in a country with a population growth of 1.9% every year.

To make food affordable, the cost of production must be brought down while the income earning capacity of the people must be raised.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE REALITY: WE ARE COUNTRY OF IRONIES The has 6 months of rains, typhoons and is inundated by endless floods. But after 3 months of dry spell, we cry “Water!”

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The Philippines is ranked No. 5 among the world’s countries with the longest shorelines at 39,285 kilometers but we are not the top fisheries, aqua and marine products producer.

In fact, we still import some fisheries and marine products and our fingerlings for the national fish “Bangus” and shrimps.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Rice is our staple food and the foremost research body for the crop - the International Rice Research Institute - is based in Los Baños, yet we are one of the biggest importers of rice in the world.

There are 247 large rivers in the country, thousands of tributaries, creeks, springs, watershed areas and rich aquifers but only 1.4-million of the estimated 3.1-million hectares planted to rice are served by irrigation water.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The Philippines is a land of verdant plains and lush vegetation ideal for animal feeds but we are a heavy importer of beef and 99% of dairy and milk requirements come from foreign lands.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The country has a land so fertile that one Israeli agriculturist once said that the Philippines could produce enough food to feed the world and seas so wide and islands so plentiful we could not even get the exact number. Yet the poorest sectors of society are in farming and fisheries.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE DIAGNOSIS: A NATION OF TWISTED PSYCHE

“Hulog ng Langit,” “Biyaya ng Maykapal” are phrases which indicate the kind of mindset Filipinos have. We always look up to the heavens for our salvation from poverty. We always hope that one day, the blessings would fall from the heavens and bring relief to our sufferings as a people.

In agriculture and fisheries, this mindset is reflective at how we lap up every new product and idea presented to us in glowing anecdotes and narratives.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The “Golden Kuhol” was introduced to the country as a priceless source of protein and the first recipients of the breeding materials from overseas did not even want to share it. Today, it is a pest to the rice farmers.

The “Jathropha” received a P1-B support fund supposedly because it promised a rich source of bio-diesel which would earn millions for the farmers. It ended up as a big flop and earned the anger and ire of the farmers who felt they were duped.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The list of the expensive but fruitless experiments is long: cotton, ramie, Asian carp, Taiwan hito and many others.

The endemic and native products which the Philippines could offer to the world and dominate the market have been neglected, sometimes even forgotten.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The Philippines used to be Number 1 in Coconut. Thailand has overtaken us. In many stores in the United States of America, coconut products from Thailand are sold.

Abaca is endemic to the Philippines but we have neglected the product and now Ecuador which got its planting materials of the Manila Hemp from the Philippines is fasttracking its Abaca development program.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE “Bangus” is our national fish but we are importing our fingerlings from Taiwan. Worse, we are losing the foreign market to them when our “Bangus” is described by foreign buyers are best in quality.

“Milagrosa,” the aromatic rice found only in the Philippines has been developed by Thailand and now marketed world- wide as Jasmine Rice. Worse, they have claimed the brand name as theirs.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Banana, pineapple, Durian, Malunggay, Mangosteen, Cacao, Coffee, Rubber, Oil Palm, Carageenan, Tuna, shrimps, crabs and dried fish are high-value products the Philippines could excel in but these sectors have largely been left by government to fend for themselves.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Pork, Chicken, Beef and ducks are other high value commodities the Philippines could produce in great volume because of the availability of feed materials - grains, copra meal, fish meal, oyster and seashells, molasses and hay - but we are importing these from other countries.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE SOLUTION: BACK TO THE BASIC The country’s agriculture and fisheries program must go back to the basic - Produce Food and Address Poverty.

The programs of the Department of Agriculture now would be focused on two areas:

1.) Staple Food Commodities to ensure food security;

2.) High Value Crops to generate jobs and foreign earnings.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The first question would be: “What do Filipinos eat and where and how do we produce these commodities?”

The second question is: “What do the local and foreign markets need which the Philippines could produce?”

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE So, what food do Filipinos need?

On top of the list would be rice, corn, chicken, meat, milk and dairy products, fish and marine products and fruits, especially bananas.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE And what products could be grown and raised in the Philippines which are in demand in the local and foreign markets?

Coconut is No. 1. Then there is Cavendish and Lacatan banana, pineapple, cacao, coffee, rubber, oil palm, abaca, shrimps, fish and marine products, seaweeds, organically grown rice and vegetables, pork, halal chicken, spices, essential oils and tropical fruits.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE FORMULA: FIRST THINGS FIRST To achieve food sufficiency and maximum productivity in the country, the Department of Agriculture under President Rody Duterte must undertake the implementation of the basic foundations of a sound agriculture and fisheries program.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Step 1:

A National Color-Coded Agriculture and Fisheries Map;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Step 2:

A National Food Consumption Quantification Study;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE

Step 3:

An institutional restructuring and paradigm resetting for the Department of Agriculture and its officials and employees;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Step 4:

An intensive technology updating and sharing, modernization and mechanization program;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Step 5:

An easy access financing program for farmers, fishermen and agriculture and fisheries stakeholders;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Step 6:

A strategic and effective post-harvest, storage and processing facility;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Step 7:

A government-initiated and supported aggressive marketing campaign especially for high-value crops in foreign markets;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Step 8:

A coordinated program with other agencies of government to ensure the protection and preservation of water sources, especially watershed;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE

Step 9:

A relentless campaign for the enforcement of agricultural and fisheries laws, especially on land conversion and illegal fishing;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE

Step 10:

Re-introduction of basic agriculture in the primary and elementary grades of the Philippine schools system with emphasis on the value of the land, water and seas and the maximum but prudent utilization of these resources.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE TARGET: FOOD SUFFICIENCY

The DA will now be adopting a policy that the country must strive hard to achieve food sufficiency, especially for our basic and staple food commodities like rice, white corn, meat, poultry, fish and marine products.

The thinking that the answer to the country’s shortage on the basic food commodities is simply to import these from neighboring countries is now rendered moot by the fact that our traditional sources of imported food also experienced the ill-effects of climate change.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The question that hangs over our heads now is: Where would we source our imported food if God forbid El Niño or La Niña would ravage all of East Asia and Southeast Asia?

Or, where would we get our imported rice if suddenly the mighty Mekong River overflows its banks and destroys the rice crops of our traditional rice suppliers?

It has now become a must that this country must achieve sufficiency in rice and other basic food commodities. It is no longer just a choice.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE For rice, I have designed a program called RIPE or Rice Productivity Enhancement which calls for a thorough review of the country’s water management and irrigation policies, the conduct of a nation-wide soil analysis, an extensive program to improve rice farming technology, the introduction of high-yielding rice varities, effective soil rehabilitation and fertilizer program and modern harvest and post-harvest facilities to minimize losses.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE There must be a viable program to produce more white corn to supply the grains requirements of the corn-eating provinces like Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Bohol, Cebu, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, the three provinces of Samar and Northern Mindanao.

For livestock and poultry, the country must develop its feed components supplies and lessen its dependence on imported materials like soya and even fishmeal to ensure that the cost of production would be lower.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE For a country whose per capita meat consumption increased from 15 kilos to 35 kilos these past few years, the Philippines sorely lacks a rational livestock and poultry development program to ensure self-sufficiency in these sectors.

Meat processors rely on imported carabeef while beef, pork and poultry supplies have to be beefed up by imports during the peak season.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE For our fish and marine products sufficiency, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is now tasked to implement a nation-wide program against Illegal Fishing and a 3-month closed season during the spawning period of the distinct fish species in the different parts of the country.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE A nation-wide search for the cleanest coastal communities will also be launched starting this year using the following criteria: 1.) absence of illegal fishing; 2.) observance of closed season; 3.) well-protected marine sanctuary; 4.) garbage-free coastal waters; and 5.) sustained mangrove protection and rehabilitation program.

Winning coastal communities will be given Presidential Awards and livelihood funds amounting to P10-M.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Funding and support for the culture and production of high value fish species like Lapu-lapu and Maya-Maya, and commercial species like Bangus and Tilapia, shrimps, crabs and other marine products will also be intensified.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The most critical preparation for Climate Change is in the area of water conservation and management.

For Philippine Agriculture to be sustainable and climate change-resilient, trees must once again be grown in the denuded mountains and water flowing freely to the ocean must be managed and conserved in small impoundings, catchment basins and dams.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE I have designed a concept in Family-Based Agro-Forestry Program anchored mainly on the idea of stakeholder-ship where an upland family is designated as the caretaker of an area which has been planted to harvestable tree species to make the program sustainable.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE There will be a shift in the irrigation mindset. This administration will focus more on small and community- based irrigation projects over the highly-destructive, expensive and long-gestating mega-irrigation projects which costs billions of pesos.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The DA will also be introducing solar-powered irrigation facilities, especially in remote villages which are not connected to the grid to provide water not only for the rice fields but also for vegetable gardens and for drinking purposes and most of all, to provide electric power to the community.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The idea of using solar-powered irrigation facilities dawned upon me when I visited a Tilapia fishpond owned and managed by a Filipino-American in the middle of the desert in Southern California. Using solar panels to trigger and power his pumps, Rocky French, draws water from over 1,000 feet below the surface to supply water to his ponds located in a 25-acre property.

Three prototypes of this new concept in agricultural irrigation will soon be built in three pilot areas in , Visayas and Mindanao.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Vegetable production in the urban areas using the advanced Israeli Green House technology is another option in ensuring food supply in the face of the threats of Climate Change.

Under a concept called “Vegetable Gardens in the City,” urban poor families will be involved through the support of the city governments which will be the partners of the Dept. of Agriculture in the implementation of this program.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The DA has already allocated P75-M for this program this year and initially the cities of Taguig, Manila and Quezon City will be the first target areas for this program.

Backyard vegetable gardening will also be encouraged in the rural and urban areas with the DA providing technical, financial and marketing support.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The idea of establishing Tilapia fish farms along river banks instead of the fish cages in the country’s inland waters and lakes which adversely affect the ecology is now being designed in a blueprint which is expected to contribute to the country’s food sufficiency in the face of the threats of Climate Change.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE HIGH VALUE CROPS The Coconut Productivity and Rehabilitation Agenda (COPRA) aims to cover 600,000 hectares over the next six years in a program that would include the development of under-the-coconut crops like Cacao, Coffee, Abaca, Black Pepper and even the Señorita Pineapple.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The Department of Agriculture under the Rody Duterte Presidency will implement plans of action to regain the country’s status as the world’s No. 1 Coconut Producer.

The country’s Banana, Rubber, Pineapple, Oil Palm and other High-Value sectors will be supported by the Department of Agriculture.

Processing and value-adding will be the key words in the High Value Crops sector.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The DA will also boost and support a new agri industry, fruit wine production which involves the production of spirits using tropical fruits as materials.

The Department will take an active role in the promotions and marketing of these products in traditional and new markets abroad.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE FIRST 100 DAYS TARGETS So, for the first 100 days of the Duterte Presidency, the Department of Agriculture will undertake the following measures:

- Nation-wide orientation and mind setting for all officials and employees of the DA to ensure that they are guided on the priorities of the Duterte Presidency in agriculture and fisheries and the road map for the mission to provide Available and Affordable Food for the Filipinos is clearly explained;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE - Cash for work program for farmers and fishermen affected by the El Niño. Work includes manual repair and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities for farmers and cleaning of coastal waters of garbage and planting of mangrove trees for fisherfolk;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE - Start of the national mapping to determine which crop or agricultural activity would be best in a specific area based on geographic, climatic and soil type conditions. President Duterte calls this the Color-coded Agriculture Guide Map;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE - Start of the National Food Consumption Quantification Survey whcih would determine what kind of food and the volume of food commodities consumed by the Filipinos. This would also project the food consumption of the country in relation to population growth;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE - Nation-wide inspection of irrigation services, dredging of silted dams and provision of shallow tube wells to ensure sufficient supply of water for the next rice planting season;

- Support in the form seeds, fertilizers, farm inputs two planting seasons in the form of calamity assistance;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE - For the fisherfolk, distribution of fishing boats and nets;

- Nation-wide face-face interaction between the DA secretary and the stakeholders in the agriculture and fishery sectors to address their concerns;

- Project Management Teams will also be organised in coordination with the local government units of the country's 10 Poorest Provinces to ensure that the DA's food production program would also result in Poverty Alleviation;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE - A special project titled Pagkain Para sa Masa will be launched in establishing arrozcaldo feeding stations to ensure that the street dwellers and the homeless will not go to sleep on an empty stomach. This project will be implemented jointly with the Dept. of Health, Dept. of Social Welfare and Development and the LGUs in Metro Manila.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE

- Pagkain Para sa Masa will serve as the first step towards ensuring that the street dwellers, urban poor and the homeless will be identified and later trained for vegetable growing using the Israel Green House technology;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE - Another special project, the Bantay Dagat, will engage the Badjaos in cleaning the waters of coastal communities to make them productive;

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE - In cooperation and coordination with the DOH, DSWD and Dept. of Educaton, the DA will also spearhead the launching of a community-based milk feeding program in areas where farmers are involved in dairy production.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE - In preparation for the La Niña which is expected to hit the country by November or December 2016, the DA secretary will direct the Philippine Crop insurance Corp. to include in the crop insurance program farmers in the high risk areas.

- The National Food Authority (NFA) will also be directed to pre-position sufficient rice and food supplies in areas expected to be affected by La Niña.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE

- Inter-agency connectivity between the DA and the Bureau of Customs will also be established during the first 100 days of President Duterte to ensure that the smuggling of rice, meat products and other agricultural products like Onion, Garlic and even Ginger will stop.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES, REFORMS Over the years and along the way, this Department and many of its agencies have been distracted by programs and projects which are not essential to their original mission.

The Department of Agriculture must go back to its basic mandate and that is to produce food for this nation.

Along this line, the focus of our funding support should be on programs that contribute directly to food production and poverty alleviation.

Reforms must be made within this agency.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Over the years, the DA’s image has been tainted with issues of corruption from the fertilizer scam to allegations that the importation of onion and garlic is controlled by a cartel.

I have seen for myself how a noble program like PL480 which is funded by the US government to improve the country’s dairy goat industry through the infusion of outstanding genetics has been marred by corruption.

I know of stories of how the Farm to Market Road program has been turned into sources of funds for some unscrupulous individuals.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE I have heard of how regulatory offices under this Department have been agonizingly slow in acting on transactions brought before them.

Listen to this or read my lips: Corruption will not be tolerated in this Department. Not anymore.

I am directing Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Segfredo Serrano and Undersecretary for Administration and Finance Bernadette Romulo to initiate the establishment of a system where applications for permits could be submitted and the fees paid on-line.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE The applicants will only come to this department when their permits are ready to be picked up or if their physical presence is not needed, these could be released to them on-line.

Biddings for goods, items, supplies including the procurement of animals and goats for genetic infusion will be announced on-line.

I am directing the new head of the ICT office to open a new DA Website Portal which would be interactive and where stakeholders in agriculture could relay their concerns, problems and complaints directly to the Secretary of this Department.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Officials and employees of this Department who will be affected by reassignments are urged to abide by directives issued by the Secretary.

I would like to advise you not to waste your money in hiring lawyers to question the Secretary’s efforts to execute reforms in this Department because I have a battery of lawyers who will be consulted before I make any more to ensure that I will not commit an illegal act.

Let me repeat what I said during the Turn-over Ceremony on July 1 about the conduct of employees in this Department.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Before I end, let me just advise the head of the General Services Office that I do not like to work in a dirty environment.

I will give you one week to clean the frontage of this Department and make sure that no vehicles are parked along the pathways.

This directive on the cleanliness of our offices and surroundings is also addressed to the heads of the agencies and regional offices under this Department.

Remember the saying: Cleanliness is next to God-liness.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE (Please include parts of the memo.)

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE I also would like to remind everyone that You and I have a mission and we all undertake this task as one team.

We have to work together, harmoniously if I have to emphasize that.

The last thing that I would like to hear are disagreements or even feud between officials and employees of this department.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE Let me repeat my warning during the first transition meeting which I attended: I will not tolerate in-fighting within this department or within the offices of this department.

Settle your differences like matured individuals or else I will assign you both to offices so distant - maybe one in Tuguegarao, Cagayan Valley and the other in Bongao, Tawi- tawi - so that you will never see each other again until you retire.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE My dear friends and fellow workers in this department and to the stakeholders in agriculture and fisheries in this country:

When President Rody Duterte named me as the Agriculture Secretary under his administration, I readily and happily accepted the position.

For so long, as a farmer and a local government executive I saw with my own eyes what needs to be done to ensure that there will be Available and Affordable Food for the people of this country.

I will never betray the trust of my President or fail the expectations of our people.

PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE: TODAY AND THE FUTURE