Villar hits PH carabao center, dairy program; blames for malnutrition and “kabobohan ng mga bata”
Senator Cynthia Villar didn’t mince her words during a Senate hearing Monday and heavily criticized the Department of Agriculture (DA), the National Dairy Authority (NDA) and even a Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) official for being “partly at fault” that school children are malnourished and perform poorly in school.
The lady senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, said that the government agencies failed to perform their duties well.
According to a quote from this Inquirer article, Villar was reported to have said, “Kaya yung mga estudyante n’yo naging bobo na kasi hindi n’yo tinulungan sa proper nutrition.”
“Hndi naman reason nun ‘yung quality of teachers alone but the proper nutrition ng children, especially the poor children, kaya sinisi ko ‘yang Department of Agriculture,” she added.
“Partly to blame kayo sa kabobohan ng mga bata. Ang mga bata pinapainom ng milk para tumalino. Ang dairy program ay partly to blame. Kung walang available na murang gatas para sa mga bata, pano iinom ng gatas ang mga bata?,” Villar said in this ABS-CBN article.
Reports also indicate that Villar slammed a PCC official for allegedly allocating more funds for the purchase of new vehicles, instead of improving the country’s dairy production.
In 2017, the Philippines imported “virtually all of its dairy products, especially milk powder, as domestic production cannot meet the country’s annual dairy demand.
According to Villar, the PCC and NDA have been in existence for 26 years but dairy production in the Philippines is only at one percent of the demand while 99 percent are all imported.
Aside from its Nueva Ecija headquarters, the PCC also has a facility at Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon.
What do you think of these statements from Senator Cynthia Villar? Leave your comments below.
* Philippine Carabao Center at Central Mindanao University photo courtesy of Ronnie Mahinay, Jr.
