[Press Release] Baguilat hits NLDC of the Department of Agriculture – Office of Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat

Ifugao Representative Teddy Brawner Baguilat is up in arms over the difficulties securing valuable assistance to his constituents from the National Livelihood Development Corp., an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, through which he coursed P5 million of his Philippine Development Assistance Fund. According to Baguilat, he allotted the P5 million as livelihood assistance…

Human Rights Online Philippines

July 13, 2011

2–3 minutes

Asia, Department of Agriculture, Government, Ifugao, Livestock, Philippine, United States Department of Agriculture, United States House of Representatives

According to Baguilat, he allotted the P5 million as livelihood assistance to farmers in Ifugao. The Department of Budget and Management coursed it through NLDC, which then said that the best way to use the precious funds was to invest in an animal dispersal program.

“I thought they would release the checks or the fund which we will then give to the local government units, who will then purchase the animals. But as it turned out, they wanted to purchase and deliver the farm animals themselves,” Baguilat said.

On the day that Baguilat had arranged for the beneficiaries to come together in Ifugao to receive the animals, the supplier only provided 40 piglets, 30 goats and 150 ducks.

“I could not believe that for P5 million, that was all that I got. I was dismayed. To make matters worse, there was no liquidation report, so I do not know how the P5 million was spent,” Baguilat said.

Following his complaints with the NLDC, the agency eventually gave his office the money to buy another 150 piglets, saying they could now buy the piglets themselves.

“They left it at that. There was no accounting. I am really disappointed. This should not be tolerated. This is corruption! And we don’t know if this is happening in other districts, too, or if this is happening in other branches of government,” Baguilat said.

“I have heard complaints from others saying that they got cows for dispersal that were very thin and seedlings that did not sprout. Somebody is earning from all of these,” he added.

Baguilat has thus called on the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Budget and Management to closely study the procurement system to investigate because people’s money is at stake. If findings reveal that there indeed irregularities in the procurement, those responsible should be held accountable.

“We are doing our part to help our constituents. The other government agencies should respond for the good of our people so that they know that their taxes are going to the right projects,” he said. #

Office of Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat
Lone District, Ifugao
Chairman, National Cultural Communities

For questions, please contact Robeliza Halip at:
Tel. No.: (02) 9315106/Mobile No.: 09214928244/email address: robieleeza@gmail.com