Pangilinan: Declaration of ASF state of calamity to unlock funds for hog-raisers

INSTEAD of lowering tariffs on imported pork, the government should declare a state of calamity due to the African swine flu (ASF) to unlock the needed funds to indemnify hog-raisers who voluntarily culled their pigs to stop the spread of the animal disease to other pigs, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Sunday.

"Hindi pwedeng bumuhos ang napakadaming imported na karne sa merkado dahil dapang-dapa na ang local industry, makikipagkumpitensya pa sa mga imported na napakamura, eh para mo ng pinatay ang industriya," he said in a radio interview.

"Hindi natin sinasabing wag mag-import. Ang sinasabi natin, mag-import ng lang ng tamang dami sa tamang halaga para na-aaddress yung pagbaba ng presyo. Pero huwag naman sobra-sobra [ang pag-import]," he added.

The hog industry has lost about 60 billion pesos due to ASF.

With the declaration of a state of calamity, Pangilinan said, calamity funds may be used to augment the Department of Agriculture's funds allocated to control ASF. He said this should help revive the hog industry.

"Sabi ng DA ang kailangan nila ay 8 billion [pesos] para sa kampanya laban sa ASF, pero inamin ng DA na 2.6 billion [pesos] lang ang halaga ng DA [funds] na available. Kaya importante ang [declaration ng] state of calamity dahil doon madagdagan galing sa calamity fund ng national government na 20 billion yung kinakailangan ng panggastos. Without the state of calamity nationwide, hindi natin ma-so-source yung pondo," he said.

Pangilinan said a similar response to previous calamities that struck the agriculture sector addressed funding problems. He cited the foot-and-mouth disease in 1995 and the "cocolisap" infestation in 2014.

Furthermore, he said lowering tariffs on imported pork are problematic because it does not ensure that imported pork are ASF-free while reducing government funds that could be used to help hog-raisers.

"Sa current price na 40 percent at 30 percent na taripa, billion na ang kinikita ng mga importer. Based on last year's prices, ang taripa na halaga ay 40 percent, 8 billion ang proceeds kapag binenta ng 250 [pesos per kilo ang baboy]. Ngayon na nga na 300 [pesos per kilo na], 21 billion na ang maaring kitain ng 40 percent na taripa," he said.

Last Wednesday (March 10), Pangilinan filed his Proposed Senate Resolution No. 676 Wednesday urging the President to declare a state of calamity due to ASF.

The Senate, which is amending the resolution to include the other senator's concern regarding lower tariffs, is expected to approve the resolution tomorrow (March 15).