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Sen. Cynthia Villar welcomed 30 farmers at the newly-inaugurated Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG) Farm School in San Miguel, Iloilo. The farmers who came from Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, and Negros province were participants to the training program on Production of High-Quality Inbred Rice and Seeds and Farm Mechanization sponsored by Villar SIPAG and the Agricultural Training Institute Regional Training VI. “Sigurado kami na malaki ang maitutulong ng inyong mga matututunan sa training na ito sa pag-improve ng production sa inyong mga rice farms at  maituturo rin ninyo sa inyong mga respective communities, cooperatives, farm schools at iba pa. That is our goal, why we prioritize trainers like yourselves, so you can pass on your learnings,” Villar said in her remarks. The farm school in Iloilo is the first school established by Villar SIPAG outside of Luzon. Villar said a rice school in Iloilo, which is among the Top 5 r...

Sen. Cynthia Villar said the amendment she proposed in the 2020 budget of the National Food Authority (NFA) will mean a bigger budget for the program providing assistance to small farmers. Villar, chair of the committee on agriculture and food and sponsor of the proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture, said a bigger budget is needed to help farmers affected by the initial phase of the implementation of Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, that is why she proposed the transfer of P3 billion from NFA to the Land Bank of the Philippines. “It is a given that there are difficulties encountered by farmers when the law took effect that is why we are looking for ways how to extend more assistance to them through bigger budget,” Villar said. The Nacionalista Party senator also allayed fears that the transferred funds will affect the palay procurement program of the agency. VILLAR AT LUFTHANSA TECHNIK PHILIPPINES - Sen. Cynthia A. Villar were among those who l...

Sen. Cynthia Villar scrutinizing the proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), made sure funding will go to projects, research and application that will help Filipino farmers and fisherfolks. During the secondhearing of the finance subcommittee on the P71.8 billion proposed budget of DAfor year 2020, Villar reminded DA officials headed by Sec. William Dar to spendno more than 50 percent of their budget for overhead or operating expenses. “Ang gusto natinmas malaki ang mapupuntang budget sa projects dahil iyon ang nakakatulong samga tao. Hindi tama na mas malaki ang napupunta sa pasweldo, sa maintenance andoperating expenses habang kulang ang tulong sa farmers,” Villar said. Villar, chair ofthe Committee on Agriculture and Food, also scrutinized the proposed budgets ofDA’s flagship programs for rice, corn, livestock, organic agriculture,high-value crops, fisheries and halal to make sure they are allocating moremoney for items that will really help farmers and fis...

At the 55th International Coconut Community Session and Ministerial Meeting at the Phiippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, Senator Cynthia Villar vowed to continue passing bills to help the coconut farmers.  As chairperson of the Senate agriculture and food committee, Villar said she has been leading efforts in the legislature to come up with relevant and responsive legislations.  Right now, they are just fine-tuning the Coconut Industry Development Act that will create the P100- billion coconut levy trust fund for the benefit of the country’s 3.5 million coconut farmers.

Senator Cynthia A. Villar recognizes the significant contributions of the recipients of the 2018 Rice Achievers award in ensuring that rice remains a staple in the Filipino household’s daily meal.  Villar, chair of the Senate agriculture and food committee, said she is happy that many reforms in the country’s agricultural sector like sufficient irrigation happened under the Duterte administration.  During the event, the re-elected senator posed with the rice achiever awardees at the awarding ceremony held at the PICC in Pasay City.

To beat the effects of El Nino and the changing climate, Re-electionist Senator Cynthia Villar urged farmers to be climate-smart. “Our farmers will have better chances of beating El Nino and the effects of climate change if they are educated on the actions to be taken in order to avoid agricultural losses,” Villar said. Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, made this statement following a report by the Department of Agriculture saying that the damage to rice and corn crops due to El Nino has reached P5.7 billion. Villar said training programs such as the Climate-Smart Farm Business School are offered by  the Agricultural Training Institute and farm schools nationwide to help farmers build resilience in the face of a changing climate. The Nacionalista Party Senator also cited the steps taken by government in order to cushion the agriculture sector from the negative effects of El Nino through the planting of drought-tolerant seeds, cropping calen...

If re-elected, Sen. Cynthia Villar vowed to prioritize again the enactment of a law that will finally allow 3.5 million coconut farmers and their beneficiaries to directly benefit from the P100 billion coconut levy fund. In a recent visit to Laguna, a coconut-producing province, Villar said she is saddened that President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed Senate Bill 1233 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Act, but said she trusts the president’s action and expressed willingness to work with him to improve the bill. “Huwag po kayong malungkot.  Makakaasa ang mga coconut farmers na as soon as I go back to Congress in July, we will refile the bill,” Villar said. “Sisiguraduhin na natin na papasa ito at pipirmahan ng president. Made-delay lang ng one year but we will do it,” she added. Villar also enumerated the merits of the bill which will create the coconut levy trust fund and will provide P5 billion a year for the next 25 years for programs that will directly benefit the coconut ...

Sen. Cynthia Villar's bid for reelection was endorsed by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte during the campaign kickoff of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino- Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN) in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Villar was endorsed as a guest candidate of PDP-LABAN along with fellow Nacionalista Party members Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, and former senator now Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano. "I am both humbled and honored to have the endorsement of a very popular president," Villar said. Duterte cited Villar's long years in public service and her character as a dedicated public servant. "I look forward to continue working with him in instituting reforms, especially in making the agriculture sector profitable and competitive for our farmers and fisherfolks," Villar said. Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food and Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, is seeking her second term as senator on a platform of providin...

Sen. Cynthia Villar led the opening of the training course on rice farm mechanization and inbred and rice seeds production at the Villar SIPAG Farm School in Bacoor, Cavite on Feb. 4. Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, said training the farmers how to mechanize farming practices and to produce certified inbred seeds will address the need to lower the production cost of growing palay. “Through this training program, we are preparing our farmers to switch to the modern way of farming and help them to be able to compete against imported rice which will start coming in as a result of the expiration of the Quantitative Restriction on Rice, prescribed by WTO,” Villar said.  VILLAR HELPS BOOST RICE PRODUCTION.  Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, chair of the Senate agriculture and food committee, leads the opening of the training course on rice farm mechanization and inbred and rice seeds production at the Villar SIPAG Farm School in Bacoor, Cavite. The re-electi...

Christmas comes early to fishermen of Barangay Matabungkay in Batangas after the DV Boer Farm International Corporation formally donated some 20 bancas to them during turn over ceremonies held at the Matabungkay Beach Hotel last Nov. 23. Produced by workers from Barangay Hukain Calatagan, the bancas were part of the 50 "Banca ni DV" to be distributed in Lian, Batangas in line with "Oplan Pamamalakaya," a DVBFI initiative intended to offer profitable and sustainable livelihood opportunities to fishermen, including idle farmers and jobless people who may be interested to be fishers. The other 30 bancas will be given out soon to fishermen in Barangay San Diego. The bancas have 7.5 horse power measuring 20x27 inches and equipped with life vests, dash camera, paddle, net (lambat pangawil), cooler, compass and flashlight. "Galing din naman ako sa hirap din. Ako ay isang buhay na patinay sa inyong lahat. Ang kahirapan ay hindi hadlang sa ating mga pangara...