By Eva C. Visperas

 

IT started on a happy note.

Everyone was excited, especially women-beneficiaries of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and farmers’ groups.

The reason: The Super Ate of our President, Senator Imee Marcos, came to Lingayen for the distribution of projects at the Veterans’ Park in Lingayen on a Saturday morning (March 4). It was her first stop-over, followed by Malasiqui, San Manuel and finally, San Nicolas.

I was in Lingayen to be part of a scheduled interview with the senator.

She recognized us (Pangasinan lady reporters), having joined most of her Pangasinan tours even before she became senator the first time. She called us “Mga Sinauna” in Pangasinan media and we exchanged brief banter about knee pains due to age.

“But good for you, Madam Senator, you seem to have no problem at all,” I said after our picture taking, to which she replied in jest “Hindi lang halata pero meron na rin” with her observation that the winding stairs at the Capitol are not stairs-friendly It is a struggle to walk up to the session hall area with knee problems.

Having the Super Ate as guest is like speaking to the President himself, as far as some officials are concerned. So, when she spoke her mind, everyone listened closely.

During the interview, I asked the honorable senator what would be her office’s next moves after hearing the sentiments/situations of young farmers and cooperative farmers of Pangasinan in an earlier dialogue she had with them.

Her reply should serve as a wake-up call for our officials whose job is on agriculture.

Her own words: “Kinakailangan talagang tutukan ang agrikultura sa Pangasinan…

 medyo hindi ko maintindihan. Nauuna ang Pangasinan sa lahat ng bagay, Malaki, pinakamayaman daw pero ang problema, nahuhuli yata ang agrikultura rito kung ihahambing natin sa iba’t-ibang lugar, katulad ng Ilocos Sur, bonggang-bongga yung Ilocos Sur kasi meron silang mga coop sa agriculture na bilyonaryo na at nagpapa-utang sila sa mga maliliit na coop,” the senator said.

She added that it is the same situation in La Union because they really exert all efforts to exploit Manila side and Baguio for trading of their agri produce.

“Napansin ko napaka-konti ng coop dito sa Pangasinan, sobrang konti sa dami ng tao, noh?,” she said adding that some groups also haven’t leveled up to full blown coop status.

She also wondered why the DA failed to push the Young Farmers’ Challenge.  “Libre yan eh. You get P50,000 up to P100,000 at the provincial level. At regional level you get an additional P150 (thousand), national more pa. So in the end, you are likely to win perks of up to P550,000 grant outright. So nagtaka lang ako bakit sa Pangasinan, walang nag-avail,” the senator sadly said.

Hold it, here is another comment our officials might not want to hear from the senator kasi true: “Bakit nagiging kulelat ang Pangasinan sa ganyan? Hindi naman dapat ano kasi siguro kailangan nating tutukan nang maigi, sabi ni Vice Gov (Mark Lambino), kinukulang ng konti.”

One can’t blame the senator. Pag sa ibang bagay, mabilis, super magaling ang Pangasinan pero sa agri hindi? Why oh why? Anyare?

In fact, she’s been pushing for programs for young farmers (those under 30s) to return to farming knowing pretty well that soon the old ones will eventually be gone forever. Who will replace them?

And, yes, Sen. Imee is right again when she said that most of the agri products sold in malls are imported.

She observed that there are few LGUs in Pangasinan that are aggressive in helping the agriculture and need to be assisted because of the big problems in this sector.

When Yoly of Inquirer commented that the senator seemed disappointed with Pangasinan agriculture, Manang Imee admitted frankly, “Yes, I am, with the DA projects here.”

The young farmers program in two other provinces are already in upswing in the past two years, but in Pangasinan, it is just starting.

On coop movement, she said the CDA must be sent to come and organize in Pangasinan.

Think big. Act fast. Mag level-up. Yan ang nais ni Manang Imee.

“Kailangan lang maging sensitive ang mga concerned, ‘wag dedmahin.”

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