Senator Cynthia Villar on Thursday scolded the director of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) for allowing the issuance of permits for the importation of rice during harvest season in the Philippines.
Villar lambasted BPI director George Culaste for saying that he could not prohibit the issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances (SPIC) even during harvest season in March and September.
“During the harvest season—March and September—we manage the issuance SPIC for rice imports,” Culaste said. “We control it because we cannot really stop the issuance.”
Villar pointed out that the BPI can stop issuing import permits during “certain times of the year.”
“That’s your power, and if you cannot exercise that power, you don’t deserve to head the BPI… You can stop the issuance. Who will question you if you will stop the issuance?” the senator said.
“Negosyante ako. Walang negosyante ang nagkukwestyon sa gobyerno pag hindi sila nagi-issue. Wag mo sabihin sakin yan. ‘Di ka madedemanda diyan. Napakatanga nung trader para idemanda ka dahil hindi ka ng-issue ng import pemit. Walang gagawa nang ganon,” she added.
The senator said that small farmers would have to compete with these traders by allowing imported rice during harvest season.
“Nasa mind mo dapat tutulungan mo yung small rice farmers na mahihirap sa Pilipinas. May rice lang sila pag may harvest season, bakit mo pa sasabayan sa importation?” she said.
Villar scolds DA exec for allowing rice imports during harvest season
“Tamain mo yang strategy mo, huwag kang ganyan,” she added.
“Yung 60 days po swak na swak sa harvest season, para namang nangiinis ka… Kung valid yan ng 60 days, hindi ba yung mass ship-out niyan kasagsagan ng ani?” Senator Imee Marcos pointed out.
“E hindi ba pinaguusapan na natin dati na no giving of SPIC within 90 days before harvest and 60 days harvest para man lang bibigyan na 90 days na window ang local. E bakit yung strategy mo ibang-iba naman?” she added.
Culaste tried to explain and said BPI met with stakeholders “when the peak of the harvest is coming.”
However, Villar interjected: “You don’t have to call a meeting, just don’t issue an import permit! Don’t call a meeting…Sila (importers) ba nagsusweldo sayo?! O gobyerno ang nagsusweldo sayo?!”
“The worst you can ever do to them is to approve the importation of rice during their harvest season,” Villar added.