AGRICULTURE and industry groups on Wednesday expressed dismay over the Senate ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), maintaining that farmers are “ill-prepared” for the mega trade deal.
In a statement, the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) challenged the senators to “live up” to their commitments “to address the long-standing problems plaguing the agriculture sector.” FFF also called on President Marcos Jr., who concurrently sits as the agriculture secretary, to meet with farmers, fishermen and other agriculture stakeholders to “allay their fears” on RCEP’s negative impacts on the agriculture sector.
Furthermore, FFF said Marcos should spell out the support programs that will be given to the agriculture sector.
“We respect the Senate’s decision, and we hope and pray that things will work out well in the future. But if they do not, we will hold the Senators accountable for their decision,” FFF National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor said on Wednesday.
“They cannot just pass on the blame to the Executive Department, which they themselves acknowledged has had a long track record of broken pledges and poorly implemented programs,” Montemayor added.
The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) on Wednesday questioned the “guidelines’ being put in place by the Senate to help the agriculture sector meet the challenges of RCEP.
“No amount of sugar coating can hide the disastrous impact of RCEP to the country, especially on the agriculture sector,” it said.
“Putting a thousand guidelines to an oversight committee without an enabling law is meaningless,” it added.
FFF said the guidelines of the Senate should have focused on policy reforms, new strategies, and changes in implementation and impact assessment mechanisms to improve government interventions to agriculture sector.
“Many of the proposed interventions of the Department of Agriculture [DA] and other agencies were mere reiterations of long-standing programs that have had minimal impact on the competitiveness and profitability of farmers and fishers,” it said.
The two groups lauded Sen. Risa Hontiveros for voting against the ratification of RCEP.
For his part, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said the ratification of RCEP is key to a “more open, transparent, and predictable trade and investment environment.”
“Deeper economic integration among the RCEP member states will expand the country’s market access for goods and services, attract more investments, and create more and better jobs,” Diokno said in a statement on Wednesday.
Upset by RCEP okay, farmerstell Senate: Help fix agri sector
Source: News Paper Radio
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