Press Release
September 25, 2018

Transcript of interview with Sen. Cynthia Villar
(hearing on Sugar Regulatory Administration budget)

Last night, September 24, 2018

Q: On the SRA budget

Villar: Ang problem namin is underutilization of the fund. During the four years na napasa namin, bumaba na. Kasi itong DBM kapag nag-underutilize ka, binababa nila ang budget kaya ayaw namin na naga-underutilize kasi ibababa nang ibababa ang budget. In the end, iyong legislation na ipinasa namin to help them has become useless.

Q: May comparison kayo sa rice...

Villar: Yes. Kasi kapag ginagawa ko silang competitive, they have to study why they are not competitive.

Q: Nagkaroon po kayo ng exchange with SRA, you expressed disappointment...

Villar: Kasi iyong underutilization of the budget. Because if you underutilize then they cut down the budget.

Q: Gaano kalala po ang underutilization?

Villar: Kasi sa first year it's P2 billion, ginawang P1.5 B, naging P1 B, ngayon P500 million na lang. Kasi ang reason ng DBM kapag hindi mo nagagasta, ika-cut ko. Syempre hindi tayo masaya noon. We are trying to help the sugar industry. If their budget will be cut every year then... kasi pinasa natin ang batas para tulungan sila. Mawawalan ng silbi ang batas.

Q: Ano po ang pinakamalala in terms of implementation, because you called their performance disastrous..

Villar: Magaling lang sila sa scholarship. Hindi nila alam kung naimplement lahat yung sa DPWH because that is the biggest part of the fund. Kailangan may nakatutok talaga sa DPWH. How much was implemented and how much was not implemented. Iyong block farm, titingnan ko kasi I am asking them to prepare a list of provinces and towns. Titingnan ko kung ilang towns ang walang block farm. Kasi iyong block farm, iyong mga land reform beneficiaries pagsasama-samahin uli and then tutulungan sila as a block farm. Kasi kapag 1 hectare each, wala iyong economies of scale to help them.

Q: Saan po kayo hindi satisfied sa performance ng SRA?

Villar: Mechanization, iyong block farms, iyong credit, walang nabigay na credit. Parang scholarship lang ang medyo mabuti. Tapos hindi pa nila alam kung iyong DPWH naimplement iyong na-identify nilang projects. Kaya gusto kong makita iyong report.

Q: And the question na kung paano makikipag-compete sa Thailand sugar?

Villar: Yes, kasi the biggest competitor, iyong comparable, kung baga sa rice Vietnam and Philippines, sa sugar Thailand and Philippines. Dapat alam mo why Thailand is producing it at a lower price of P8.50 per kilo ano iyong reason doon para whatever ang reason, ma-solve natin kung mechanization ba or inputs ba or infrastructure ba talaga. Para iyong ating solution naka-focus sa problema. Pero kung hindi mo ma-realize ang problema, paano mo so-solbin ang problema? Kasi iyong sugar industry development bill was made to make our sugar farmers competitive.

Q: Iyong comparison po sa rice industry...

Villar: May study sila eh. So ako nag-aral, alam ko na ang price difference is P6.00. P3.50 noon is mechanization, labor. So ilalagay mo kalahati sa mechanization kasi iyon ang malaking problema. And then P2.00 seeds. Tapos P.50 ang irrigation. Iyong irrigation na-solve na natin. Free irrigation na tayo. So iyong seeds na lang and mechanization. Parang ganoon. Sa pag-solve mo ng problem, alam mo ang reason ng problem. Hindi nila mapin-point kung saan galing ang cost difference.

Q: What's the next step po?

Villar: Magpapaaral sila. They will come back to me to make the report.

Q: Iyong budget po na prinopose ng DBM, chances are iyon na talaga ang maipapasa?

Villar: Kung underutilized nga paano mo ija-justify na dagdagan? Dapat ipakita nila. Sila ang mag-convince next year. Hindi ko alam kasi na kinat nang ganyan. Hindi kasi sila nagre-report sa utilization.

Q: How will this affect po the agricultural industry...

Villar: Hindi naman masyadong malaki ang sugar, 2 percent of our production. Ang talagang malaki sa atin is coconut and rice. But alam mo may special heart tayo. Ang sugar sikat na sikat dito sa Pilipinas. Very famous nga ang Negros Occidental dahil sa sugar. But maliit lang ang volume ng sugar. Pero sana iyong maliit na iyon, competitive na tayo. And maybe we can increase production of sugar if we are better.

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