The Department of Agriculture is asking the Negros Occidental provincial government to replace the 789 bags of missing fertilizer intended for farmers in four local government units, DA OIC Regional Director Jose Albert Barrogo said on Friday, June 30.
The missing fertilizer is part of 4,170 bags sent by the DA to the Negros Occidental provincial government as aid to high value crop farmers who were victims of Typhoon Odette.
Missing are 360 bags of fertilizer for Kabankalan City, 200 for Cadiz City, 193 for Cauayan and 36 for Bago City, Barrogo said.
Barrogo said he sent a letter to Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on June 19 after the four LGUs sought the release of their fertilizer.
“May we request for possible solution, particularly how the missing allocation (can) be replaced and completely delivered to our affected farmers. We hope that your office can take immediate action relative to this matter,” Barrogo said in his letter to the governor.
The farmer beneficiaries have been waiting for the fertilizer to be used for the coming wet cropping season, Barrogo added.
Two employees of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist are facing an investigation for the disappearance of the 789 bags of fertilizer worth P2.3 million from the provincial government’s Rice Processing Center warehouse in Bago City , which was discovered in October last year.
Barrogo said he will have to discuss with the incoming DA regional director if charges will be filed for the missing fertilizer.
It has been referred to the DA legal office, he said.
However, he noted that the Negros Occidental provincial government has already conducted an investigation on the matter.
It is hoped that the appropriate people concerned are held responsible and not those who are innocent, he added.*