Loren seeks reforms in extension system

Sen. Loren Legarda has called on the House of Representatives to improve the delivery of agricultural assistance to farmers by advocating comprehensive reforms in the country’s extension system.

Loren, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture, aired the appeal upon learning that the House will work to pass House Bill 6883 or the Magna Carta of Agriculture and Fishery Development Workers among other priority bills.

“House Bill 6883 will only improve the salaries and benefits of local extension workers but it will not correct the structural defects that have been largely responsible for the inefficiency and lack of responsiveness to the needs of the farmers and other clients particularly the poor since the start of the devolution of extension workers in the early 1990s,” Loren said.

“The Magna Carta will put the salaries and benefits of extension workers at par with those of their national counterparts and I am glad about this. The agricultural extension workers are crucial in the transfer of scientific knowledge and know-how in strengthening the linkage between the agriculture and fisheries producers and processors and the market and credit providers,” the senator said

“However, political realities and the lack of appreciation of many local chief executives of the importance of agriculture to the development of their areas have led to the appointment of non-agriculture experts in the pool of local extension workers in municipalities, provinces and cities. In many cases, the devolved agriculturists are floated and non-agriculturists are appointed as Municipal Agriculturists by the local executives,” she explained.

Loren said “it is important that the national government through proposed apex agency for extension of the Department of Agriculture professionalizes the management and standardizes the salaries and benefits of the local extension workers while it shepherds LGUs to full maturity in the execution of devolved functions. In time, when local governance has reached maturity as regards local autonomy and empowerment, full powers will be returned to chief executives,” she said.  (Philippine Star, January 10, 2010)