A number of stakeholders in the fishery sector had been calling for the establishment of a Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR), separate from the Department of Agriculture (DA). Its proponents cite two main justifications. One is that under the DA, the fishery sector is not accorded proper attention as the agency has to attend to the development of numerous commodities. Two, as a result of that inadequate attention, despite being an archipelagic country with expansive coastal areas and rich aquatic resources, the development of our aquatic resources in general and the fishing communities in particular has been painfully slow.
However, the first argument rests on tenuous ground because it is not the fault of DA if the resources devoted to the fishery sector is small. DA has proposed and lobbied for a greater budget for the sector but Congress does not seem sympathetic to the idea. Depending on the sitting political administration, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) obtains an annual budget of around P3 to P5 billion. This amount is obviously not enough to cover the huge investment requirements of the fishery sector.
The second argument seems more credible, yet we hear so many complaints and observations regarding the exhaustion of our aquatic resources due to overfishing and the use of illegal fishing methods. What is needed now are the proper enforcement of conservation measures combined with the promotion of more sustainable fishing activities, such as aquaculture and mariculture, to ensure that while our aquatic resources are protected, we are capable of supplying the fish requirements of Filipino consumers.
Ostensibly, the government’s budgetary resources will be highly insufficient to meet the protection and development requirements of the fishery sector. For this reason, the private sector must be encouraged to participate in the sector’s protection and development. The government must then provide the conducive environment for private sector investments. This necessitates the formulation of the correct policy framework for fishery: one that is business-friendly (i.e., reducing business costs and bureaucratic red tape) while ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared by poor fishing communities while protecting our environment.
Reviving the proposal
Lately, the proposal to establish DFAR has been revived, with proponents citing the twin original reasons for its creation. The media reports that if established, DFAR will be provided an additional budget of P2 billion, obviously a pittance of a sum to be able to respond to the needs of the sector. And because there is no appropriate policy framework within which the proposed DFAR is to operate, it is expected that the proposal will hardly make a dent on the problem of poor fishing communities.
The tight fiscal position of the government due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic also works against the passage of the proposal. The discouragement of this proposal, which will only result in the creation of another expensive bureaucracy, could be one of the positive contributions of the Covid-19 pandemic to our political economy.
Establishing PhilCorn
Falling under the same roof is House Bill 7818 filed in Congress to establish a Philippine Corn Research Institute (PhilCorn), a commodity-based research and development institute patterned after the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), purportedly to modernize our corn sector. Once established, another layer of bureaucracy will definitely be created without any assurance that it will raise the productivity of the corn farmers or improve their socioeconomic conditions.
Commodity-based institutions in the Philippines were created in the past but they did not necessarily lead to a rise in the overall yield of those crops. In contrast, international commodity institutions were effective because they were given specific productivity targets and their funding is based on their performance. A commodity-based research institution in the country is guaranteed annual funding by the government once a law creating it is passed. However, there are no specific productivity targets imposed on it. Its creation is based on the belief that its establishment will automatically lead to productivity gains and improvement in the welfare of the tillers cultivating the crop. Unfortunately, that is a declaration of faith rather than science.
The better option is for the government to fund the research and development activities of existing commodity programs in various state universities and colleges (SUCs) with the provision that the grant is subject to raising crop productivity in the area where the SUC operates.
Happy Christmas
Under the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen less commercialization in the celebration of Christmas. This may be bad for business but it certainly is aligned with the true spirit of Christmas.
For Christians, it is a time to rejoice as it is the birth of the Messiah, an event that eventually paves the way for the sacrifice in the Cross so that mankind will be redeemed from the original sin. Besides the three “wise” men (and not kings) who bore gifts to the child Jesus, there was no occasion in the Bible wherein Jesus admonished his followers to celebrate his birthday. It was his death that Jesus exhorted his believers to remember as the event meant the salvation of mankind.
Covid-19, in a perverse manner, brought the celebration of Christmas to its real meaning. Being thankful and celebratory amid widespread poverty, as represented by Jesus born in a simple manger; happy in the embrace of our immediate family members as did Mary and Joseph with the birth of Christ surrounded by just a few shepherds; and deep satisfaction and humility despite an uncertain future as the Savior has come to our life.
Christmas in the manger was devoid of pomp and glorious celebration. Commercialization of the event is but a vulgar way by which Christmas is to be celebrated. We are not “merry” in Christmas but “happy.” The former denotes noisy and chaotic celebration. The latter, the feeling of inner joy with subdued satisfaction, as we celebrate the coming of our Savior.
Happy Christmas to all!
fdadriano88@gmail.com
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