Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday urged Department of Agriculture officers to step up, noting that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who concurrently heads the DA, was being too form to his subordinates.
“What I can see kasi napaka-deliberative at napakabait ng Pangulo and he really means well sa agriculture. Pero if I’m allowed to speak up as a senator…shape up din ang Agriculture [officials] kasi the first year puro agri ang mga issues,” Cayetano mentioned in a press convention.
(I can see that the President may be very deliberative and affable. And he actually means nicely on the DA. But, if I’m allowed to talk up as a senator… Agriculture officers have to form up as the federal government has quite a few agriculture issues in its first 12 months.)
“Mahiya naman ang top leadership doon na ang pangulo mismo ang secretary. Yes, we’re doing a lot but there’s much more that you can do to prevent this. Bakit ba kailangan parating sa mesa ng pangulo ito dadating?” he added.
(The prime management must be embarrassed because the President himself is the secretary. Yes, we’re doing loads, however there’s far more that you are able to do to stop this. Why should this attain the President’s desk?)
For Cayetano, the DA officers ought to have anticipated the rising value of rice because of the developments across the globe, such because the suspension of India’s exportation of rice in addition to the growing costs of oil and gas, which he mentioned can be a consider the price of merchandise.
“Noon pa lang alarm bells na dapat sa Agriculture Department ‘yon…Itong price cap at itong mga problem at itong issue na pinag-uusapan sa rice tarrification etcetera, from director to usec (undersecretary) kaya na ito. Ang problema pinaabot pa sa Pangulo,” he said.
(This should have raised alarm bells at the Agriculture Department early on… from the price to the problems with rice tarrification, etcetera, from director to undersecretary, they should be able to handle it. The problem is the President ends up having to deal with it.)
“Napakabait lang ng ating Pangulo, deliberative, he listens, [and] he tries to solve his problem himself pero dapat mag full staff work din ang Agriculture Department,” he added.
(The President is too nice, and deliberative. He listens, and he tries to solve his problem himself. But the Agriculture Department’s whole staff should also work.)
Even on the trade agreement with Vietnam, Cayetano said the DA officials should not have waited for high-level discussions.
Cayetano said he would ask the DA officials about its long-term plans for the agriculture sector in the upcoming budget hearings in the Senate.
“Temporary problem ngayon, kung may solution na ‘di temporary pwedeng magkabuhol-buhol ang problema,” he warned.
(If it’s a temporary problem, if there’s a permanent solution, things could get all tangled up.)
“Sa budget hearing, that’s one division that I’d prefer to hear into and actually simply encourage ang taga-Agriculture na President ang secretary niyo, magpakitang gilas kayo,” he added.
(During the finances listening to, that’s one division that I’d prefer to hear into and encourage the individuals from the DA, which has the President as its secretary, to point out some initiative.)
As for appointing a everlasting Agriculture secretary amid the sector’s issues, Cayetano mentioned there wanted to be a stability.
“For me, it’s a stability. You have a daily secretary pero nagla-lobby pa sa Pangulo, pwede din mag-fall brief. If you may have a president na s’ya ang nand’yan very clear ang symbolism pero ‘yung mga tao naman don hindi nagse- step up,” he said.
(For me, it’s a stability. You can have a daily secretary, but when that official has to foyer the President himself, that secretary may nonetheless fall brief. If the President himself is there, the symbolism may be very clear. However, the individuals there, they don’t seem to be stepping up.) — DVM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
