Marcoleta seeks resignation of plants industry chief

By Maricel V. Cruz

REP. Rodante Marcoleta of the Sagip party-list group on Wednesday sought the resignation of Bureau of Plants Industry (BPI) Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban in light of an alleged cartel in the onion industry.

“Sayang wala lang si Director Panganiban (It’s a shame Mr. Panganiban isn’t here),” said Marcoleta during the

By Maricel V. Cruz

REP. Wilbert T. Lee of the AGRI party-list group on Wednesday cited the importance of educators’ role in achieving a better future by starting with shaping the principles and mindset of the youth. During the recent Regional Research and Development Coordinating Council meeting of Bicol Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (BCAARRD), Lee imparted his insights on the perennial problems of the agriculture sector and the country before Presidents of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), teachers, researchers and representatives from non-government organizations, and national government agencies.

hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food chaired by Quezon Rep. Mark Everga.

The committee has been conducting a congressional inquiry on what legislators believe to be an artificial shortage of onion that led to high prices during the Christmas Season in 2022.

In Wednesday’s hearing, the committee invited Panganiban as one of the resource persons but the latter failed to show up as he attend an ‘official function’ from May 7 to 12 in Rome, Italy. Panganiban’s absence irked Marcoleta. “ (Maybe) I will ask him to resign already, Mr. Chair. I’d like to put that on record that Director Panganiban heads three agencies but he cannot focus on any of them. That is why we are now in this sad plight. Ito, sibuyas pa lang po ang pinag-uusapan (We’re only talking about onions here),” Marcoleta said.

Tulfo condemns widespread NCMH ‘corruption’

By Macon Ramos Araneta

SEN. Raffy Tulfo condemned the reported widespread corruption inside the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH).

Tulfo said one of the reported cases of corruption include the food contracts of patients which ballooned from P80 million per year to P250 million up to P300 million per year.

While Tulfo is thankful for NCMH Chief Dr. Noel Reyes’ swift action on some of his earlier recommendations to improve the system at NCMH, the senator however chided the official for tolerating corruption.

Earlier, Tulfo, along with his staff, visited NCMH to see the condition of its facilities.

“The National Center for Mental Health is not the mother of all irregularities as some people think,” he said.

“However, NCMH is the dinosaur of all corruption because corruption has been going on in this facility for ages. And now with the help of my colleagues in the Senate, we will make corruption here extinct, right here, right now!” he added.

In the previous P80 million per year contract, he said the raw food products were subjected to bidding and were cooked by their in-house cooks, along with dietitians inside the institution.

During a Senate hearing on the issue, Reyes reasoned that they moved the food procurement from goods to services to avoid the problem of food pilferage, which angered Tulfo.

He said that instead of subjecting people involved in stealing food to disciplinary actions, Reyes agreed to outsource the food which is more expensive.

In this outsourcing scheme, NCMH gave a three-year contract to the provider. The first year is bidding, and the second to third year is just renewal and renegotiation.