SENATE President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero is pushing for the renationalization of agricultural services, arguing that it is crucial for the sector’s revitalization and upliftment.
Escudero, who has been advocating for this since his first term as representative of Sorsogon in 1998, believes that bringing control and supervision over agricultural support services and facilities back to the national level, specifically the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its agencies, is essential.
He highlighted the inconsistencies in policies and priorities across different local government units (LGUs) that negatively impact the agriculture sector. “There are inconsistencies in the implementation of programs and policies that affect the agriculture sector in each locality. If you have someone with a background as a farmer then you can expect policies in favor of the sector otherwise there is no guarantee that their interests would be prioritized,” Escudero said.
The devolution of agricultural and health services to LGUs under the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991, while intended to provide greater autonomy, has resulted in a lack of centralized control and coordination, according to Escudero.
Feedback from stakeholders during consultations on the LGC’s implementation over the years revealed a strong desire to renationalize agricultural services, prompting Escudero to file bills to address this concern.
“Since I became a congressman in 1998, I filed a bill to renationalize agriculture. The problem with our agriculture is that it was devolved, along with health, under the Local Government Code of 1991. This resulted in the Department of Agriculture losing control and coordination with LGUs,” Escudero explained.
He also pointed to issues with policies and regulations related to matters like African Swine Fever (ASF), where LGUs implement regulations without sufficient oversight from the DA.
Escudero believes that renationalization would allow the DA to fully control and supervise personnel involved in agriculture and fisheries, including agricultural extension workers. This, he argues, would be crucial in revitalizing the sector.
“In contemplating whether or not to revive renationalization, I hope the administration will consider renationalizing the agriculture sector so that the Secretary has full control over all agricultural programs,” Escudero said.
