Punchline
Who’s minding the farmers?
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
HERE’S a thought for our congressmen and women to contemplate while they assess their future amid the brewing PDAF scandal.
Ever since typhoons have averaged 20-25 visits to the country every year, the country has been suffering staggering losses in agriculture by hundreds of millions each year.
And sure as the sun rises in the east, both national and local governments are always quick to bemoan the damages and losses that always result in higher consumer prices each time, prompting governments to quickly import agri products to the consternation of the farmers.
Aah yes, the farmers. The unheralded heroes. No aid is delivered to the farmers when calamities strike. Not even a piece of pandesal. Importers, on the other hand, get all the assistance while the farmers are sidelined, left to count their losses. The number of farmers affected or displaced are not even cited as part of the statistics. They, who produce the food for our consumption. They, who are tied to their farmlands as they slave for 5/6 usurers. They, whose fundamental requirements, i.e., cheaper fertilizers, efficient irrigation, drying facilities, warehousing, better pricing, etc. are not uniformly and regularly supported by government. They, whose children now shun farming for a job at a manufacturing plant. They who are neglected when government’s help is needed most.
Why the government would rather support the importers than the forlorn farmers whose produce are wiped out before these could be harvested, is beyond me and the rest of the consumers in the country.
As studies already show, the area of farmlands in the country continue to be diluted by commercial land developers who gobble up farmlands in distress. What farmer would not sell his land if he is left to fend for himself each time his investments are blown away? What farmer would opt to keep the farmland if his own children desert him for keeping the farmland?
Unless government acts today to reverse the trend, the next generation will have to depend completely on imported agri products to feed themselves.
* * * *
CROP INSURANCE. Our government can think of a number of incentives to keep our present crop of farmers holding the line and keep planting but all these will be to naught if there is no help they can look forward to in the event they lose their crops to the wrath of nature.
So here’s the suggestion: Pass a law that will give protection to farmers, similar to the benefits given by PhilHealth to members and, the 4Ps! Provide farmers a recourse to insurance benefits for their lost crops destroyed by natural calamities. A farmer should be able to recover at least P5,000 for a specified area of farmland planted with primary crops etc. to enable him to replant and pay his loan! Congress must submit a budget to support The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation like it does to PhilHealth!
We should act now before it’s too late for all of us! We need our farmers, more farmers, and more productive farmlands!
* * * *
ACCOUNTABILTY REMAINS. Here’s a fair warning to the province’s board members and councilors.
If they think they can escape culpability in the future for joining a conspiracy in the past, headed by the mayor or the governor, think again.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales recently ordered the indictment of former top officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019).
The ombudsman Morales ordered the filing of an Information for violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 against the former chairman Feliciano Salonga, the administrator and his deputies, and 12 former board members!
The main issue revolved around the terms of the joint venture agreement entered into by SBMA in 2010 for the development, operation and management of the Naval Supply Depot and the ports in Boton, Alava, Rivera and Bravo.
The resolution cited the SBMA officials who “displayed manifest partiality and evident bad faith in the performance of their functions.” That sounds familiar. Remember Dagupan’s Judas 9?
The resolution further noted that the SBMA resorted to procedural shortcuts and undertook material deviations including changes in the eligibility requirements.
In Pangasinan, many local government units are rushing to secure bank loans ostensibly to modernize their public markets yet the terms are grossly disadvantageous to the local governments. The biddings are mostly rigged in favor of contractors and developers who tack on goodwill fees “for-the-boys” who approve the resolutions and ordinances.
Such under-the-table-deals no longer escape the eyes of residents particularly who believe they have an ally in the Ombudsman! So watch it guys.
* * * *
PERSECUTING ALLIES. What is happening to our government’s priorities?
Instead of collaborating with whistleblowers, our government would rather prosecute and persecute them like it has done to Jun Lozada who dared to expose the ZTE deal, and now Rey Villar, who initiated the investigation of the fertilizer scam, the precursor of the pork barrel scam, in his capacity as COA chairman!
Will the government ever succeed in prosecuting the guilty parties when it keeps losing vital allies who are in the know?
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
