THE House Committee on Agriculture and Food created a technical working group (TWG) Tuesday to consolidate seven bills seeking to establish the Philippine Corn Research Institute (PhilCorn).
The TWG will be headed by Isabela Rep. Antonio T. Albano who is also a vice chairman of the committee. His bill, House Bill (HB) 2617, will be the lead bill in the consolidation process.
HB 2617 seeks to “unify, coordinate, fund, implement, and strengthen all corn research and development as well as manpower training and extension of technologies on corn and corn-based farming systems.”
The measure also seeks to ensure “adequate and stable supply of quality corn products” for domestic and foreign markets.
Additionally, the bill also pushes for the improvement of the income of farmers while expanding their opportunities for employment.
Corn is a staple and also the main component of feed for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture industry.
The Philippines has a number of research institutes devoted to major crops such as the Philippine Rice Research Institute and the Philippine Coconut Authority. Currently, there are no similar research institutes for corn and corn-based farming systems.
Rosalie Ellasus of the Corn Board said that the creation of the PhilCorn is “very long overdue.”
“Kailangang-kailangan din pong pagtuunan po natin ng mga pondo. Naiinggit din po kami sa mga rice farmers because of NFA (National Food Authority). Kasi po pag bentahan na po kami, hindi po kami na-aaccommodate doon sa NFA warehouses. So kung meron din po kaming equivalent sa NFA warehouses, siguro ang mga corn farmers ay hindi magsasawang magtatanim (There is a need to devote funds to such an institute. We envy rice farmers because they are prioritized by the NFA, which cannot accommodate corn in its warehouses during the harvest. If we had our own warehouses it will encourage farmers to keep planting),” she said in a hearing on Monday.
National Corn Program Director Lorenzo M. Caranguian said: “It is really very timely for the corn industry to be given special attention… by the creation of this law, or the approval of this bill, I think the corn industry will be given due justice.”
Edgar S. Luzano, Assistant Vice-President of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK), said that the bank “fully supports the intent of the bill” for the development and growth of the corn industry.
“LANDBANK is mandated by law to implement the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) where we can provide financing to individual corn farmers and also their cooperatives and associations,” he said.
The ACEF Lending Program “aims to provide necessary credit to farmers and fisherfolk and their cooperatives and associations and micro and small enterprises to increase their productivity; and to establish an agricultural lending program that enhances competitiveness of… small farmers and fisherfolk.”
Mr. Albano said that the committee will complete the consolidation process by March. — Genshen L. Espedido
