Photo Release

Day 2 of agri budget hearing: Sen. Cynthia Villar presides over the continuation of the Finance Subcommittee B hearing on the proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies Wednesday, October 19, 2022. In tackling the P6.2-billion proposed budget of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Villar asked officials to address the backlog and fully implement the laws establishing fish hatcheries in different parts of the country to help increase fish production. She added that since 2016, Congress has passed 57 laws creating marine hatcheries and so far, only 19 were completed. Sammy Malvas, BFAR regional director, informed the committee that the agency has a P256-million allocation for the construction of 14 legislated hatcheries next year. Villar suggested to the agency to heighten the implementation of Republic Act No. 10654 or the law preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and channel their collection of fines and penalties to the construction of more legislated hatcheries. The panel also tackled the proposed 2023 budgets of the Department of Agrarian Reform and the National Irrigation Administration. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)