Gatchalian warns of dependence on imported fertilizers

Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian raised concerns about food security on Saturday, noting that 95 percent of urea, a key nitrogen-based fertilizer, is imported from countries such as Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and China, placing a burden on Filipino farmers.

In an interview with DZRH, Gatchalian commented on the performance of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC), both of which exceeded their revenue collection targets during the first quarter of the year.

While welcoming the strong collections, the Senate president pointed out that increases in fuel prices and excise tax collections may have partly driven higher revenues, highlighting that higher revenue generation does not measure success for both departments.

Furthermore, Gatchalian said the government could utilize the additional revenues to fund important programs and projects in the coming months.