PHILIPPINE agriculture output grew less than a percent in 2019, failing to meet the government’s target as the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak dragged the livestock sector.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday that agriculture output, which contributes about a tenth to gross domestic product (GDP) and a fourth of the country’s jobs, inched up by 0.4% in the fourth quarter, compared to the upward-revised year-ago growth at 1.9%, and the third quarter’s growth of 2.85%.
The fourth quarter figure is way below the Agriculture department’s projection of between 2.5% to 3% growth.
For the full-year, farm output rose by 0.70%, slightly higher than the 0.59% in 2018. However, this was lower than the 2.5-3.5% target range for farm output growth under the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan.
“In the last quarter of 2019, the country was badly affected by the ASF, which continues up to this day. On top of that, we were disturbed by natural disasters such as powerful typhoons, Tisoy and Ursula,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in a text message.
Livestock, which accounted for 16.2% of total output, declined by 8.5% during the fourth quarter, as demand slumped due to the ASF outbreak.
Hogs production fell 9.8% to 597,500 metric tons (MT) during the October to December period, which the PSA attributed to “non-replacement of stocks and continuous reduction in the inventory of swine in Central Luzon.”
Demand for pork also dropped in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon). The monitoring of the movement of hogs in the country also led to lesser disposal of hogs in Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas, and Central Luzon.
For the full year, livestock output fell 1%, led by carabao production which slipped 1.7%.
According to the report submitted by the Philippines to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the ASF outbreak in the country started on July 25, 2019. Data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed that as of Dec. 15, 2019, the number of pigs culled reached 147,334, of which 18% or 26,077 were found to have been infected by the virus.
Total barangays affected by ASF totaled 612 from the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Tarlac, Rizal, Cavite, Pangasinan, and in Metro Manila.
CROPS
Crops, which accounted for half of total output during the fourth quarter, went up by 1%. Year on year, crops value increased 1% to P115.764 billion.
For the full year, crops output fell 0.8% versus 1% decline in 2018.
Broken down, palay production grew 4.7% to 7.494 million metric tons (MT) during the fourth quarter, with increased harvested and planted area reported in Cagayan Valley and Western Visayas “due to sufficient water supply.”
“In addition, there was more usage of high-yielding variety seeds coupled with good weather conditions during the cropping period in these regions,” PSA said.
However, palay production for the full year declined 1.3%.
Corn production slid 8.2% to 1.658 million MT during the fourth quarter due to reduced harvested areas in Cagayan Valley and Zamboanga Peninsula as farmers were discouraged to plant corn due to low buying prices. Despite the three-month slump, full-year corn production rose 2.7%.
Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Research Fellow Roehlano M. Briones noted the positive performance of palay, or unmilled rice, production.
“Despite the problem in the palay industry, at least the crop sector as a whole was positive,” Mr. Briones said in a phone interview.
Farmgate prices dropped by an average of 5.7% in the fourth quarter, as crops saw an average 11% decline in prices. Palay prices slumped 25% “due to the effect of lower buying price offered by local buyers and traders, presence of imported rice and higher volume of production,” the PSA said.
University of the Philippine School of Economics Professor Ramon L. Clarete said the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law led to the decline of the price of the staple food.
Meanwhile, poultry production, which accounts for 17% of total agricultural output, saw a 5.4% growth in the fourth quarter. This brought the full-year print to 5.8%, thanks to increased demand for chicken meat, amid the ASF outbreak.
Fisheries production grew by 3.4% in the October to December period, bringing the full-year figure to 1.9%. — VMPG
PHILIPPINE agriculture output grew less than a percent in 2019, failing to meet the government’s target as the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak dragged the livestock sector. Read the full story.
THE Philippines slipped one place to No. 54 out of 167 countries in London-based think tank Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index for 2019, citing the Southeast Asian nation’s “flawed democracy.” Read the full story.
THE Philippines slipped one place to No. 54 out of 167 countries in London-based think tank Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index for 2019, citing the Southeast Asian nation’s “flawed democracy.”
The think tank said the country has free and fair elections and basic civil liberties are respected. “However, there are significant weaknesses in other aspects of democracy, including problems in governance, an underdeveloped political culture and low levels of political participation.,” it said in an e-mailed report.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador S. Panelo did not immediately reply to a mobile phone message seeking comments.
The nation scored 6.64 points out of 10 last year, when global democracy hit its lowest score since the report began in 2006.
No Southeast Asian country was classified as a full democracy, a category dominated by European countries.
Norway topped the global index with a score of 9.87, followed by Iceland (9.58), Sweden (9.39), New Zealand (9.26) and Finland (9.25).
Full democracies assure citizens of civil liberties and political freedoms as well as an effective government and political culture, it said.
The Philippines ranked No. 9 among countries in Asia and Australasia, falling behind Southeast Asian neighbors Taiwan (31), Timor-Leste (41), and Malaysia (43).
The country placed ahead of Indonesia (65), Thailand (68), Singapore (75), Myanmar (122), Vietnam (136), and Laos (155).
The 2019 average global score of 5.44 was the lowest since the index began in 2006.
“The decline in the average global score in 2019 was driven by a sharp regression in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, a lesser one in the Middle East and North Africa region, and by stagnation in the remaining four regions covered by the Democracy Index,” according to the report.
The Asian average stagnated in what the report described as a tumultuous 2019 for the region. Several countries’ scores dropped as a result of the erosion of civil liberties in India and Singapore, increased digital surveillance and ethnic discrimination in China and deteriorating political stability in Hong Kong.
Thailand’s score rose 38 points after its first general election since the 2014 coup d’etat.
The Philippines scored 9.17 points in the electoral process and pluralism category, 7.22 points in political participation, 7.06 in civil liberties, 5.36 in government functioning and 4.38 in political culture. — Jenina P. Ibañez
THE ANTI-MONEY Laundering Council (AMLC) inked deal with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to tighten their cooperation for its feedback mechanism amid money laundering and terrorism financing risks that come amid the rise in internet-based casinos, casino junkets, as well as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
In his speech at the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MoA), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor and AMLC Chairman Benjamin E. Diokno said the MoA with PAGCOR will likewise allow them to collaborate in terms of sharing studies, research, and information in recent emerging trends related to money laundering and terrorism financing.
“The actionable information that we share with each is important in supporting financial investigations,” Mr. Diokno said on Tuesday.
He said the MoA will also allow them to carry out capacity-building measures to address the said threats.
“The latest National Risk Assessment notes a high sectoral money laundering threat among designated non-financial businesses and professions — including casinos which are highly vulnerable,” he said.
Mr. Diokno said the rise in different varieties of casino operations as well as the decrease in transparency of high-rollers or gamblers that consistently bets using a large amount of money resulted to “much vulnerability” in terms of identifying sources and the movement of funds.
“This calls for strict enforcement of and compliance to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing policies-urging the full cooperation of covered persons during the conduct of examinations — especially with the rise of POGOs,” he said.
Under the amended Anti-Money Laundering Act or Republic Act No. 10927 enacted in 2017, casinos are considered as “covered persons.”
In his speech, Mr. Diokno cited PAGCOR’s role to supervise, assess, and monitor whether casinos comply on their obligations as per the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Casino Implementing Rules and Regulations, among other relevant issuances. He noted that the agency informs AMLC of the results of its inspections.
PAGCOR operates nine casino branches as well as 32 satellite casinos all over the country.
In August, the AMLC fine-tuned rules on administrative cases for casino officials and employees and unveiled a gradation of fines depending on the gravity of violation.
In December, the dirty money watchdog announced they would be pushing for changes to their framework to avoid heightened surveillance over weak anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing measures. — Luz Wendy T. Noble
