Senator Cynthia Villar has expressed her opposition to the plan of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to import galunggong (round scad).
Villar, chair of the Senate agriculture and food committee, scored the DA for supposedly insisting on importing galunggong when it should be promoting self-sufficiency for the country’s food supply.
“‘Yang galunggong na ‘yan masyadong kontrobersyal. Gustong-gusto nila mag-import, may naglalakad pa sa akin na bigyan daw sila ng import permit sa galunggong. Bakit ba patay na patay tayo? Mahal na ang galunggong, huwag kumain ng galunggong,” she said.
“Madami namang choices, bakit ba ini-insist ‘yan,” she added.
She said the public could consume food that are available and more affordable.
“Ako naman, eh kung mahal ang galunggong, eh ‘di huwag kumain ng galunggong, di ba? There are other alternatives na pwedeng gawin. Bakit ba gustong- gusto niyo ‘yong galunggong kung mahal ang galunggong? Eh lalong nae-encourage ‘yong price increase, bakit ‘di kayo kumain ng gulay?,” Villar told reporters in an interview.
Vegetables, she noted, are much healthier and might address malnutrition among children, citing the recent international assessment finding the Philippines at the bottom in terms of reading, math and science.
She gave a similar advice in 2018, when the DA also planned to regularly import the so-called “poor man’s fish” to increase its supply and solve its rising prices.
Meanwhile, Villar said the Department of Trade and Industry should conduct inspections to make sure that traders and stores are adhering to the suggested retail prices of food. (Vanne Elaine Terrazola)
