Agri scholarships, data-driven reforms needed
PING LACSON’S DIALOGUE WITH FARMERS
FORMER senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who is running for a fresh term in May, vowed to champion long-term agricultural reforms during a dialogue with farmers and local leaders at the Konsultahang Bayan: Agenda para sa Agrikultura held at the New Bagsakan Center of the Rosales Farmers’ Market on April 9.
Addressing concerns raised by agriculture stakeholders led by Rosendo So, founding chairman of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), and former agriculture secretary Leony Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers, Lacson proposed bold initiatives to modernize agriculture sector to improve the livelihood of farmers.
Noting the aging Filipino farmer population, with the average now at 55, he underscored the urgent need to attract younger generations to farming and proposed a Magsasaka Para sa Bayan scholarship program patterned after the existing Doktor Para sa Bayan law.
“Let’s give our youth, especially children of farmers, a chance to study agriculture and learn modern technology — not just traditional, manual methods,” Lacson said. “This will not only enhance productivity but also renew the interest of the youth in farming,” he added.
He stressed that free college education in agriculture, coupled with technical training, could be the game-changer to elevate the sector and reduce the country’s reliance on imports.
Lacson also called for a comprehensive, data-driven national strategy to reduce dependency on rice imports and address inefficiencies in the supply chain.
“What is important is that our moves must be data-driven,” Lacson said during the forum.
He pointed out that some regions in the country experience overproduction while others face rice shortages. Without a proper logistics and monitoring system, surplus rice fails to reach areas that need it, resulting in unnecessary imports and higher market prices due to logistics costs.
Lacson’s solution is a real-time data monitoring and coordination system that will allow both national and local governments to accurately track agricultural supply and demand across regions.
Both So and Montemayor backed the call for integrating modern agricultural technologies and strategic planning in national policy, noting that today’s farmers need support in upgrading systems and accessing markets more efficiently. (Eva Visperas)
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