President Aquino appoints former Senator Francis
Pangilinan as Presidential Assistant for Food Security
President Benigno S. Aquino III has appointed
former Senator Francis Pangilinan as Presidential Assistant on Food Security
and Agricultural Modernization (PAFSAM).
The President appointed Pangilinan on May 5 with
the signing of Memorandum Order No. 70, which also defined the functions of the
PAFSAM.
The President also transferred to the Office of
the President (OP) four agencies under the Department of Agriculture (DA): the
National Food Authority (NFA), National Irrigation Authority (NIA), Philippine
Coconut Authority (PCA), and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), through
Executive Order No. 175, which he also signed on May 5.
According to the memorandum, aside from
overseeing the four agencies previously attached to the DA, Secretary
Pangilinan is tasked with coordinating and monitoring the policies, programs,
projects and activities relating to the National Convergence Initiative (NCI),
in conjunction with its national steering committee and technical working
groups.
In line with the Philippine Development Plan for
2011-2016, following are among the salient objectives of the NCI as embodied in
its charter: “rationalizing land use policies and strengthening the system of
land property rights; promoting sustainable agriculture and preserving the land
resource base; enhancing the investment and opportunity climate for
agribusiness; promoting sustainable upland development and forest management; and
initiating climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.”
The order directs all other government agencies
and corporations “to render full assistance and cooperation” to the PAFSAM. PND
(rck)
Secretary Pangilinan says he was appointed to
help Agriculture Secretary Alcala
Newly appointed Presidential Assistant for Food
Security and Agricultural Modernization (PAFSAM) Secretary Francis Pangilinan
said Tuesday his appointment is aimed at helping Agriculture Secretary Proceso
Alcala in addressing the numerous problems in the agricultural sector.
Secretary Alcala remains to be the primary
person responsible for food and agriculture, Pangilinan noted. “Ako ay
pumapasok lamang bilang taga-suporta, dagdag ng suporta at tulong sa ilang mga
problema ng ahensya, problema ng sector,” he said.
He said his appointment is to fast-track
agricultural modernization during the last two years of the Aquino
administration.
“So [itong] pagpasok po natin ay upang
suportahan at tulungan ang ating Kalihim para ang mga layunin ng ating
administrasyon at ng ating Pangulo ay matugunan sa nalalabing dalawang taon,”
Pangilinan said.
“Maliwanag na dalawang taon na lamang, ano, at
maliwanag na marami pang mga problema na kinakailangang lutasin. Kung kaya’t
mahalaga na magtulungan upang ang mga programang hindi pa naipapatupad ay
maaari nating bigyang diin,” he added. PND (rck)
Members of Japan-Philippines Parliamentary
Friendship League call on President Aquino
President Benigno S. Aquino III met with members
of the Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League (JPPFL) during a
courtesy call in Malacanang on Tuesday.
Present during the courtesy call held at
Malacanang’s Music Room were JPPFL Chairman Kenji Kosaka, Vice Chairman Takeshi
Maeda, Chief Secretary Yukio Ubukata, and Secretary General Taku Otsuka.
On the Philippines side, present were Foreign
Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Japanese
Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe, and Director General of
International Relations and Senate Protocol Antonio de Guzman, Jr.
Drilon, President of the Philippines-Japan
Parliamentarians Association, met with the members of JPPFL on Monday to
discuss the proposal to grant Filipinos a visa-free entry to Japan.
The lawmaker said the proposal is still being
studied and reviewed but noted that it may be decided within the year.
Both parties also discussed the immigration
policies for Filipino caregivers to Japan, which has a growing ageing
population.
During the meeting, Kenji Kosaka also turned
over 20 emergency vehicles to the Philippines for areas devastated by Typhoon
Yolanda last year. PND (jb)
President Aquino confers Order of Sikatuna to
outgoing envoy of Spain
President Benigno S. Aquino III conferred the
Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Grand Cross, Gold Distinction to outgoing
Spanish Ambassador Jorge Domecq in a simple farewell ceremony at Malacanang’s
Music Room on Tuesday.
President Aquino recognized Domecq’s important
contribution in further strengthening and deepening the bilateral relations
between the Philippines and Spain since he assumed office in 2011.
The President also commended the envoy’s
outstanding and dedicated service in the field of international relations and
for having been an exceptionally worthy and competent representative of his
government in the country.
He likewise praised Domecq for his steadfast
efforts in promoting partnerships between the Philippines’ and Spain’s public
and private educational institutions, including the enhancement and propagation
of the Spanish language.
The President acknowledged the ambassador’s
efforts in encouraging Spain to support Philippine development goals through
Spain’s official development assistance in the important sectors of good
governance, education, social development, and disaster risk management and
emergency response.
Domecq was cited for supporting Philippine
initiatives in the domestic, regional and multilateral arena, especially in the
areas of human rights, the rights of women and the Mindanao peace process.
Lastly, President Aquino recognized the envoy’s
consistent efforts in bringing the people of Spain closer to the people of the
Philippines through enhanced collaboration between Filipino cultural
institutions and the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports and the
Instituto Cervantes.
Also present during the event were Domecq’s wife
Rosa Rufino de Domecq, two other officials of Spain, and Foreign Affairs
Secretary Albert Del Rosario. PND (jb)
Pangilinan is President Aquino’s point man for
National Convergence Initiative: Palace
Presidential Assistant for Food Security and
Agricultural Modernization (PAFSAM) Secretary Francis Pangilinan has been
tasked to coordinate the Aquino administration’s programs under its National
Convergence Initiative (NCI) in line with the six-year Philippine Development
Plan (PDP).
Malacañang disclosed this on Tuesday, following
President Benigno S. Aquino III’s issuance of Executive Order No. 175, which
transferred four agencies of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to the Office
of the President, and Memorandum Order No. 70, which detailed Pangilinan’s
functions.
The memorandum decreed that Pangilinan would
have the oversight on the operations of the National Food Authority (NFA),
National Irrigation Authority (NIA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and
Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA).
Presidential Communications Operations Office
(PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. clarified though that these decisions by
the President do not in any way reduce Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala’s
level of authority amid various allegations raised against him during the past
few months.
“The President wants the four agencies to devote
intensified and focused efforts in attaining PDP goals. Secretary Alcala is
expected to continue pursuing the full attainment of DA objectives with
undiminished vigor,” Coloma told reporters in a text message.
“Secretary Pangilinan's appointment is an
affirmative decision, and not in reaction to issues that have been raised by
some quarters concerning Secretary Alcala, who continues to enjoy the
President's trust and confidence,” he added.
Coloma said Pangilinan would be the President's
point person in giving impetus to the NCI to ensure long-term food security and
sustainable, long-term agricultural development.
The NCI’s objectives are to rationalize land use
policies and strengthen the system of land property rights; promote sustainable
agriculture and preserve the land resource base; enhance the investment and
opportunity climate for agribusiness; promote sustainable upland development
and forest management; and initiate climate change adaptation and mitigation
measures.
According to the President’s order, the DA, NFA,
NIA, PCA, FPA, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR), and all other government agencies and
corporations are “directed to render full assistance and cooperation” to the
PAFSAM, Coloma noted. PND (hdc)
Pangilinan takes oath as Presidential Assistant
for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization
Former Senator Francisco Pangilinan took his
oath of office as Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural
Modernization before President Benigno S. Aquino III in Malacanang on Tuesday.
Pangilinan was appointed Presidential Assistant
through Memorandum No. 70, which was signed by President Aquino on May 5.
Pangilinan’s position has a Cabinet rank.
In a press briefing after his oath-taking,
Secretary Pangilinan said his appointment gives him authority to oversee four
agencies transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the Office of the
President: the National Food Authority (NFA), Philippine Coconut Authority
(PCA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and Fertilizer and Pesticide
Authority (FPA).
As overseer in the agriculture sector,
Pangilinan said his priorities include ensuring enough supply of rice at
affordable prices, as well as rice importation and storage. He said he will
find ways to address the NFA’s P170-billion debt.
Regarding the coconut industry, Pangilinan said
he will look into the coco levy issue to determine possible government
intervention in connection with the coco levy fund that has not been returned
to the farmers.
There is also the problem of infestation in the
coconut industry which his office will try to solve, he added.
It is high time we look into the living
conditions of Filipino coconut farmers, who remain poor despite the huge
potential of the country’s coconut industry in the international market, he
said.
He maintained that the country continues to be
the leader in terms of world coconut exports but that it might lose ground to
other nations if the government ignores the concerns of the coconut industry.
Pangilinan also said he will study the problems
in the country’s irrigation system to help increase the yield of Filipino
farmers.
“Very public ‘yung mga issue ng ating Pangulo sa
NIA, so we will have to address that too in the last two years. Sa huling
dalawang taon ng administrasyon ng ating Pangulo, ito ang ilan sa mga gusto
niyang malutas natin,” he said.
On the possible effects of the El Niño
phenomenon, Pangilinan said he wants an immediate assessment on the effects of
the weather disturbance on the country’s agricultural sector to be able to
tackle it effectively. PND (as)
New Presidential Assistant for Food Security
says he will focus on farmers and fishermen
Newly appointed Presidential Assistant for Food
Security and Agricultural Modernization Secretary Francis Pangilinan on Tuesday
emphasized the need to look after the welfare of the country’s farmers and
fishermen, who he said are the “poorest of the poor”.
“Dahil ang ating designation is food security
secretary, siguro kailangan ko ring bigyang diin na para magkaroon ng food
security, ang una nating dapat ma-secure ay ‘yung ating mga magsasaka at
mangingisda,” Secretary Pangilinan said during a press briefing shortly after
he was sworn into office by President Benigno S. Aquino III.
He noted that the agricultural industry only
grew by one percent last year.
“The poorest of the poor are in the agriculture
sector. And therefore, kung gusto nating pagtuunan itong inclusive growth ng
ating administrasyon at ng gobyerno, kailangang tugunan natin ang problema ng
pagsasaka at pangingisda,” said the former Senator.
He said that to address the increase in rice
prices, his office must look into storage and importation and the reported
P170-billion debt of the National Food Authority (NFA).
Pangilinan also mentioned the need to settle the
controversies surrounding the decades-old issue on the misuse of the coco levy
fund that is one of the concerns of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).
“The Coco Levy fund, which rightfully belongs to
our farmers, will be properly utilized so that it will benefit directly our
coconut farmers and their families,” said Pangilinan, who once headed the
Senate Committee on Agriculture.
As Presidential Assistant for Food Security and
Agricultural Modernization, Pangilinan has an oversight function over the PCA,
NFA, National Irrigation Administration, and Fertilizer and Pesticide
Authority.
“Yung doktor, kailangan natin minsan sa isang
panahon; yung abogado kailangan natin minsan sa isang pahahon; bumbero, ganoon
din. Pero ang magsasaka at mangingisda, kailangan natin araw-araw, tatlong beses
sa isang araw,” Pangilinan said, hence the need to clean up the four agencies
he has been tasked to oversee. PND (ag)
New Presidential Assistant for Food Security
says he will address rice smuggling
Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural
Modernization Francisco Pangilinan said Tuesday he will not allow smugglers to
control the country’s supply of rice and dictate its price in the market.
Secretary Pangilinan made the statement shortly
after President Benigno S. Aquino III installed him into office, giving him
authority to oversee the National Food Authority (NFA) and three other agencies
that were formerly under the Department of Agriculture.
He said that in the past, rice smugglers used
farmer groups and rice traders to import rice illegally.
"Hindi tayo papayag na sila ay
mangingibabaw dito sa sektor ng bigas at pag-import ng bigas," said the
former Senator who once chaired the Senate Committee on Agriculture and
spearheaded investigations in anomalous transactions in the agricultural
sector.
Asked if his overall goal is to dismantle rice
cartels in the country, Pangilinan said his main objective is to ensure a more
transparent and organized way of importing rice.
"Ang sa atin ay hindi natin sila papayagang
diktahan ang rice trade sa ating bansa. Whether mabuwag sila o hindi, hindi ko
masasabi, pero ang ating layunin ay magkaroon ng mas malinis na proseso ng
pag-import ng bigas," he said.
The government recognizes the problem of
smuggling in the country, he said, noting that the President has already
carried out reform measures in the Bureau of Customs to prevent smuggling, not
only of rice but other products as well.
The newly appointed official further said that
he will try to address the rice farmers’ lack of capital, which hampers their
productivity and income.
The absence of financial sources, such as banks
and cooperatives, prevents farmers from having enough money to support their livelihood,
he said.
Pangilinan said he will coordinate with
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala to help farmers access financial support,
such as loans and insurance. PND (as)
