By Andre Christopher H. Alampay
A PROPOSAL to merge the departments of Agriculture (DA) and Agrarian Reform (DAR) will serve to better integrate agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) into DA programs, analysts said, though the sugar industry expressed its opposition to the idea.
“I agree that there is no need for two different agencies in charge of agricultural development. I would suggest that the DA include as part of its functions the provision of agri-support services for agrarian beneficiaries, including farmers,” according to Roehlano M. Briones, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, speaking to BusinessWorld by phone.
Fisherfolk advocate Norberto O. Chingcuanco added that a merger would increase inclusivity for fishing communities.
“Merge agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) with the DA’s list of farmers and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource’s (BFAR) list of fisherfolk to better manage support. DAR can continue with land distribution matters while the DA handles livelihood by overseeing domestic production,” Mr. Chingcuanco told BusinessWorld via Messenger chat.
Senator Francis Pancratius N. Pangilinan floated the merger idea again at a budget hearing this week, after having initially made such proposals in 2020 and in 2022.
The main opposition is emerging from the sugar industry, which needs large tracts of land to ensure scale in sugar production.
United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines President Manuel R. Lamata said: “The DAR was created to appease the left; it was a political decision. The DA should be left apolitical; it should serve everybody including DAR beneficiaries,” he said via text message.
Mr. Pangilinan had also proposed making agricultural extension services a National Government function. Mr. Briones warned that the nationalization of such programs should have clearly defined objectives.
“There should be a clear rationale for such programs, including poverty reduction,” he said.
Mr. Lamata said in the interest of efficiency, scale, and self-sufficiency ARB holdings should be consolidated into block farms.
“The DA should finance and give all the help they can to them so that they become productive again and so that we can stop importing,” Mr. Lamata said.
The proposal to merge the DA and the DAR also included separating the BFAR from the DA to create a new department on Fisheries and Aquatic Agriculture.
Mr. Chingcuanco said the idea of a dedicated department of fisheries better addresses the situation on the ground because fishing is the only viable livelihood in many remote areas.
“Aquaculture can be done in remote coastal areas, even if there are no roads or electricity. It always engages the community, which needs to protect and nurture the environment to continue having clean water,” Mr. Chingcuanco said.
Mr. Briones cautioned against combining in one department oversight over industries that are extractive in nature, on the one hand, and focused on managing resources, on the other.
“The function of capture fishery development and aquaculture development can still stay with the DA but the function of resource management with marine and inland resources can be assigned to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),” Mr. Briones clarified.
He said all the resource and development management functions — not just those related to fisheries — could be consolidated into the DA.
Mr. Pangilinan has yet to file a bill merging the two departments.
Whether the merger happens or not, Mr. Briones said the DA needs to be overhauled.
“I would recommend the DA reorganize itself on function lines rather than commodity lines. Budget allocations currently are through commodity programs. So rather than create a new bureaucracy and program management offices, there would instead be line agencies performing different functions,” Mr. Briones said.
Mr. Briones also proposed transferring the responsibility for agrarian justice to the Department of Justice (DoJ).
“In terms of tenure-related reform, I don’t think the DA has any competency or mandate to do that. I think this may have to be spun off to a different department such as the DoJ. Not a committee but a dedicated office,” Mr. Briones said.