Transcript of interview with Sen. Cynthia Villar (hearing on free irrigation)

Q: Satisfied kayo sa sagot nila about mechanization of irrigation?

Villar: I'm just questinoning why repair is greater than new irrigation facilities, iyong policy na ganoon. Gusto ko mas maraming new irrigation kaysa repair. Iyong mechanization ang clarification noon is mas kailangan ang mechanization kaysa free irrigation. Kasi based on the cost, talagang difference in cost sa labor is very high relative to difference in cost in irrigation fees.

Q: How much are we losing with regards to the present program of NIA na pina-prioritize ang repair?

Villar: Diba iyan na rin ang complaint ni President Aquino last time na puro repair, walang new irrigation na facilities. So talagang mas malaki ang budget nila sa repair kaysa sa new irrigation facilities which is nakakagulat kasi in any company, whether it's private or public, syempre mas malaki yung CAPEX kaysa sa repair and maintenance.

Q: Mga ilang metric tons ng rice ang nawawala sa atin because of that stance?

Villar: Hindi dumadami iyong irrigated lands na magpo-produce ng rice. If on the average we are producing 5 metric tons per hectare, depende imu-multiply lang natin yung mas maraming irrigated lands. Ang sinasabi nila, they only irrigate additional 20,000 a year. That's too small kasi ang hindi nai-irrigate is 1.2 million hectares. If you are going to irrigate, that's 60 years. Diba, 20,000 per year; to get 1.2 million you have to wait for 60 years, which is so far.

Q: Nag-agree ba sila na titigilan ang repair?

Villar: We will see. Kasi tayo naman nagsasabi lang, hindi naman tayo ang nasusunod. Pinagsasabihan lang natin sila kung susunod sila o hindi. Like for example, may mga sinabi tayo tungkol sa rice, hindi naman nangyari. Oversight committee tayo, we just point out to them what we think are wrong in the system. Kung sila ay magbabago, nasa kanila na iyon.

Q: May report na si NFA Admin Aquino daw nag-conduct ng back door negotiation with Thailand, an overshoot of our annual rice import na instead of 400,000, nasa 1.2 million...

Villar: From our study, sa rice without any increase in production, unlike before, ngayon nag-increase na, max sa atin is 1 million metric tons. Ibig sabihin, it should not go beyond that ang imports natin, considering walang improvement sa production. Kung nag-improve naman then we minus iyong improvement sa production. So hindi ako naniniwala na 1.2. It should not go beyond 1 million.

Q: It was a backdoor negotiation daw with the Thai government.

Villar: Wala namang backdoor negotiation if the government will pay for it? Lahat naman ay transparent kung government ang magbabayad. Tingin ko ang question dito is whether we do government to government or we do private. Against ako sa private importation kasi based on our investigation before, kapag private importation doon nangyayari ang smuggling.

Q: Sabi ng think tank na Global Source, tataas daw ang inflation kapag pinatupad ang policy na no importation?

Villar: I think ang sinasabi naman ni President Duterte, huwag kayong mag-iimport kung meron naman tayong rice. Kung magso-shortage saka mag-import. Hindi naman sinasabi na magso-shortage. Kung talagang kailangan dapat kasi nagkakaroon ng discussion whether ngayong nagha-harvest ngayon ka magi-import. Usually, nag-iimport ka kapag nagtatanim na sila. Kasi noong pinadadating nila ang rice is March, which is the harvest season ng rice that is why they are against it. But if there is really a shortage, then we import. Kais mapapahamak ang consumer if we don't have enough supply of rice. But then ang sinasabi niya, as much as possible, huwag tayong mag-import kung meron naman tayo.

Q: On the creation of Department for OFWs

Villar: Siyempre gusto natin iyon. Iyon nga ang pangarap natin.

Q: Bill ninyo iyon diba?

Villar: Yes.

Q: Sa tingin nyo ba mapa-fast track?

Villar: Siguro, sabi niya though ipa-fast track na nila. Kasi it's a priority.

Q: Nasaan na ba ito?

Villar: Nasa committee pa.

Q: Pwede bang executive action?

Villar: Pwede siyang mag-executive pero mas maganda legislation kasi mas permanent, baka iyong sa kanya is a program, not really a department. I've never heard of a department created by an executive order.

Q: Sabi niya in a few months...

Villar: Baka ipamamadali niya. Priority kasi. Before hindi naman priority.

Q: Sa House ba merong counterpart bill?

Villar: Oo. Madali naman ang House, mahirap ang Senado.