Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ruled out a major revamp in DA attached agencies after the Office of the Ombudsman last month relieved heads of the National Food Authority (NFA) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of former NFA administrator Roderico Bioco and other officials of the grains agency for alleged disadvantageous sale of rice buffer stocks. The Ombudsman also ordered the dismissal of BFAR director Demosthenes Escoto for alleged “grave misconduct” in the bidding for the contract of vessel monitoring systems.
“I think these are isolated incidents. The former NFA administrator’s case happened early this year while the case of director Escoto happened in 2017. It’s just unfortunate that the orders of the Ombudsman were issued one after the other,” said Tiu Laurel, in a statement.
Tiu Laurel added the order removing BFAR director Escoto, who was tasked to head the review of the disposition of NFA rice buffer stocks in recent years, should not have a major impact on the investigation which should be completed in the coming weeks.
He also assured operations of the NFA and the BFAR are proceeding as usual, with the appointment of Larry Lacson as acting NFA administrator and assistant director for technical services Isidro Velayo Jr. as officer-in-charge of BFAR.
Meanwhile, the DA reported damage of El Niño to agriculture has reached P4.39 billion, up 11 percent from P3.94 billion last April 1.
The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center in its advisory as of 12 noon of April 23 said damage from the weather phenomenon is equivalent to 77,731 hectares (ha) of areas tended by 85,232 farmers in the regions of Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao and Soccsksargen.
The total amount is also equivalent to a total volume loss of 184,002 metric tons (MT).
The DA said of the 77,731 ha affected, only 17,706 ha or 22.78 percent have no chance of recovery while the remaining 60,025 ha or 77.22 percent have a chance of recovery.
Initial El Niño agricultural damage from the said regions amounted to 113,446 MT of rice worth P2.71 billion; 24,306 MT of high value crops worth P869.34 million; 45,995 MT of corn worth P769.68 million; effects to 2,261 fisherfolk worth P33.83 million; 381 heads of livestock and poultry worth P7.75 million; and 41 MT of cassava worth P561,900.
The DA said it has so far provided a total of P2.16 billion worth of assistance to affected farmers, including support to production, financial and livelihood assistance as well as water management.
