PUBLIC Works and Highways Chief Mark Villar has encouraged the agriculture department to help his agency in providing farmers facility where they can dry their palay or other produce in order to lessen the burden of Filipino farmers.
While Villar affirmed that drying palay or other agriculture produce along national roads in the country is prohibited under the law, he acknowledged the fact that the Philippines has no enough facility for farmers.
“I agree, we should build agriculture infrastructures so that the farmers don’t have to use our roads. Of course, on our part, we discourage the farmers from using the road. Meron naman talagang batas yan, e. We’re just citing na may batas, e ako naman , we have to follow the law,” Villar said.
Earlier, the department issued a warning to farmers that such practice is considered obstruction and is punishable by fine of not more than P1,000 or imprisonment of six months at most.
Senator Ralph Recto then reacted to this, saying that the government should include agriculture in its infrastructure drive instead of penalizing farmers for using highways to dry palay.
The senator cited that the farmers are only using national roads to dry their palay due to lack of drying equipment and infrastructure.
Recto then suggested to build “more drying pavements, to concreting of farm roads, to more mechanical dryers, to the simple distribution of drying mats to farmers.”
Without these, he furthered, the farmers are left with no choice but to dry their produce on the national roads.
“The solution is not to jail or fine them, but give them alternatives where they can dry their harvest,” Recto said.
When sought for a response, Villar nodded on the senator’s suggestion and encouraged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to work with them. (Betheena Kae Unite)