The Department of Agriculture should address the lingering problem of unfilled positions in its agencies, Senate Minority Leader Joel Villanueva stressed Thursday.

During the Senate's Finance Subcommittee B hearing on the proposed 2024 budget of the DA and its attached agencies, Villanueva grilled agriculture executives over the increasing number of unfilled positions in the department from 2021 up to 2014.

In his presentation, Villanueva said he number of unfilled positions has increased from 3,451 in 2021 to 3,579 a year later, in 2022. Although it went down to 3,566 in 2023 and the number remained until 2024, Villanueva lamented that the number is still higher than in 2021.

"Walang diperenseya. Walang nangyari. Baka naman po 'yung position diyan ay inutil talaga, mahirap i-fill up, mataas 'yung requirement tapos ang baba ng sweldo kaya walang naga-apply. But you let us know," he said.

Villanueva also questioned the department's 5,765 job orders and contract of service personnel.

He asked if these personnel have no chance to fill the vacant permanent positions in the department.

"What would you feel if you were one of the 5,765 job order personnel? Would you be able to sleep at night or pray, hoping that the numbers would somehow change in the next two years? Is there a chance to change it?" Villanueva asked.

In response, the DA officials said they are in the process of filling up the positions.

DA assured the Senate that a substantial number of vacant positions will be occupied by next year.

Villanueva then suggested the DA should conduct a "right-sizing" in its agency if it would really be hard for them to fill in the existing positions.