Cordi govs hit unfair govt fund allocations

By Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Four governors in the Cordillera slammed the national government for the allegedly inequitable distribution of funds for construction and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads.

The inequity, they said, deprives rural communities in the region of the resources to become at par with lowland areas in terms of agriculture and infrastructure development. Kalinga Gov. Floydelia Diasen asked Agriculture Undersecretary Salvador Salacop why some provinces get more funds than the provinces in Cordillera, saying these areas are badly in need of farm-to-market roads.

Ifugao Gov. Teddy Baguilat Jr. agreed with the observation and asked the agriculture official if there are criteria that provinces in the Cordillera cannot meet, and thus limit the allocations for the region’s provinces.

However, Salacop was not ready for the grilling by the governors, who included Mountain Province Gov. Maximo Dalog, and Gov. Nestor Fongwan of this vegetable-producing province. Provincial offices in the region are interested in the allocations for farm-to-market roads because of the rugged and mountainous areas in the region where most of the farms are located.

The production cost of semi-temperate vegetables is too expensive due to the high cost of transportation as a result of poorly maintained roads. Mountain Province received only R5 million for farm-to-market roads last year.

Ifugao received the same amount. Despite constant follow-up by local officials with the central office of the Department of Agriculture, it seems that they have been allegedly treated with the bureaucratic run-around. The governors hinted that there could be something amiss in the DA central office because no matter how diligent they are in following up their proposals, they end up with nothing.

The indignant provincial chief executives demanded for a meeting soon with Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap so they could air their sentiments to the DA leadership. They said farm-to-market roads are important in the region because most farms are not accessible through the main roads which force the farmers to hire people to manually haul their farm produce to the roadside.

The excessive cost of farm inputs and the high transport cost are the major factors behind the high prices of vegetables at the trading post here. Salacop assured that he will deliver the message of the governors and will schedule the urgent meeting with the DA brass to address their concerns.

While the Cordillera is a beneficiary of billions of funds under the Super Region concept, farm-to-market roads are not included in the list of projects because the funds are allotted for the rehabilitation of national roads.