PagadianCity- To ensure that the prices of basic commodities have remained stable despite the adverse effects sparked by the prolonged El Niño phenomenon, President Gloria Macapagal-arroyo visited the 4th class municipality of Ramon Magsaysaysay in Zamboanga del Sur.
The President arrived Thursday at the public market of Poblacion, Ramon Magsaysay together with the newly installed Secretary of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Jesli Lapus, the President was warmly welcomed by the host Mayor Pacifico Bulahan Jr. of Ramon Magsaysaysay, with the local officials, Governor Aurora E. Cerilles, Representatives Victor J. Yu (1st dist) and Antonio H. Cerilles (2nd dist.), municipal mayors, DTI Regional Director Nazrullah Manzur, and C/Supt. Angelo Hipolito Sunglao, Regional Director sa PNP Region 9.
President Arroyo shows that the government give constant attention and is properly responding to the problems brought about by the ill effects of El Niño. She visited the public market and checked the prices of basic commodities such as fish, rice, and canned goods; milk and sugar, if these are within the range specified by law. She checked the prices in the displayed Price Bulletin Board with DTI Regional Director Nazrullah Manzur, who briefed her on the current prices of commodities.
Also, she checked the ‘Timbangan ng Bayan’, and Consumer Welfare Desk located inside the market to ensure that the interest of the consumers against deceptive, unfair and unconscionable sales acts and practices is exercised , and that consumers are provided with adequate rights as contained in R.A. 7394 otherwise known as the Consumer Act of the Philippines.
The President approached Esther Panugaling, a fish vendor, and was asked the price of the fish she sold at the market.
Panugaling sold ‘gutob’ at P80 per kilo and ‘tulingan’ at 100 a kilo.
“Maayo! Barato lang kon ikumpara sa presyo sa ubang dapit.” (Good! It’s cheap compared to the price in other places) Arroyo said.
Jeffrey Abeledas, a vendor displays NFA rice in his ‘‘Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke’ and sells NFA rice at P25 a kilo, thanked by the President for selling NFA rice to the consumers.
“Nalipay ako nga ikaw nagbaligya ug barato nga NFA rice dinhi sa inyong dapit,” (I’m happy that you sell cheap NFA rice here) Arroyo happily said.
The President left Ramon Magsaysay with a big smile plastered on her face after she’ve found out that prices of basic commodities have remained stable. (GCC/PIA9, PagadianCity)
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In a briefing with members of the press on her Tarlac sortie this week, NP-NPC-LDP Vice-Presidential candidate Loren Legarda reiterated her commitment to her vice presidency bid, saying that “it was never a second choice for me”.
“Si Mar, kung hindi tumakbo si Noynoy sa pagka-pangulo, yan sana ang ambisyon nya. Nagparaya lamang sya dahil alam nyang si Noynoy ang pipiliin ng partido nila para suportahan. Kaya he settled for the vice-presidency, something he wasn’t even sure of and until now, di nya pa mapapatunayang gusto nya talaga ang pagbaba nya ng ambisyon,” she asserted.
Legarda dispelled comments that the vice-president is a sitting-duck position when asked why she chose to run for it and not the presidency. “The VP is not a sitting-duck position. It’s up to you to use your position whether for good or bad.Throughout my career as a broadcaster and a Senator, I have used my position to help people. Madali akong lapitan. I don’t know if I can say the same for Mar,” she said.
“I have always gunned for the vice-presidency, even in 2004. Noon ko pa gustong maging gabay sa pangulo at magsilbing ilaw sa tahanan ng mga Pilipino. I have always given all my heart to the vice-presidency, kaya nararamdaman kong mas karapat-dapat ako. Kailangan ng sambayanan ang pagkakalinga ng isang ina ng bayan,” Legarda shared.
Meanwhile, Legarda stressed that mobilizing government resources to alleviate poverty.
There is a need for the government to mobilize its resources to maximize the production capability of the agriculture and fishery sector in order to hasten countryside development and reduce the country’s poverty incidence particularly in the rural areas, according to NP-NPC-LDP vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda.
“We have to alleviate rural poverty as the rural poor ratio is still two thirds of the country’s poor. And to achieve this goal, the government must ensure the rational allocation of resources to the local governments to enable local leaders to do their part efficiently particularly in providing technical assistance, production support and social services to farmers, fisherfolk and their families in their locality,” Legarda said.
Legarda issued the statement in reaction to an Asian Development Bank’s report last year which states that “the economy’s strong performance in the last four years has not translated into poverty reduction. Between 2003 and 2006, poverty incidence increased from 30.0 percent to 32.9 percent despite the average GDP growth of 5.4 percent. The Gini coefficient remains high at 0.45. Both urban and rural poverty increased on average and only 4 of 17 regions recorded an improvement in the poverty headcount. Falling real incomes of families and compression of public spending contributed to the rise in poverty.”
“The challenge of rural development lies heavily on the leadership of local officials – from Governors down to the officials in the barangay levels,” said Legarda, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture and food.
“While I commend the Governors and Mayors and other local officials who have done their part to uplift the living condition of their constituents, I am encouraging them and those who would be elected to local posts this coming elections, to be development- oriented, imaginative and creative,” the lady senator said.
“I advise you to coordinate with local offices of the various national government agencies and find out what budget and programs of these agencies could be utilized and implemented in your locality,” Legarda said.
“For example, you can use Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) - managed institutions and funds for agriculture and fisheries in equipping farm and fish-farm households with non-farm skills such as repair and maintenance of vehicles, farm machineries, electricity, modern carpentry, furniture making, training in production of agri-tourism goods and services,” she said.
“Farm and fishing communities need these skills as an alternative source of livelihood in times of disasters such as typhoons, flooding and other calamities that damage croplands such as the drought which we are experiencing now,” she elaborated.
“LGUs could also tap State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) for the use of their extension programs, particularly those with academic programs related to creative industries, in teaching both lowland and upland farmers and fisherfolks set up simple agri-tourism business such as small eateries and cafes near the seashores, mountains, and in the middle of rice fields and in creative packaging of food and non-farm products,” the lady senator said.
“The Department of Environment and Natural Resources could also provide local governments with livelihood creating-activities in agro-forestry. The LGUs could tap religious organizations, alumni associations, youth organizations or any group who are interested and are looking for mountains to adopt for reforestation,” Legarda said.
“LGUs could also access the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) for the use of small borrowers particularly in the production of livestock with limited supply such as hogs, cattle and goats,” she added.
According to Legarda, another important factor that will contribute to the reduction of poverty in the countryside is the full support of the national government in providing the subsidized farm inputs and infrastructures necessary in farm activities such as farm-to-market roads, farm machineries and post-harvest facilities.
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The Anak Mindanao (AMIN) party-list today expresses alarm over reports that the power crisis that is now plaguing Mindanao will cause the massive retrenchment of workers in the island.
AMIN Rep. Ariel C. Hernandez said the Department of Energy (DoE) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) should work together and map out mitigating plans/measures to address this coming crisis in the labor sector.
Hernandez also urged the private sector to stop blaming the government for the power woes, stressing that “now is not the time of finger-pointing and laying blame. Now is the time to work together since we are all affected by this shortage of energy in Mindanao.”
“While government addresses the power shortage in Mindanao, the government and the private sector should work together to map out mitigating measures to address the impending crisis in the labor sector,” he said.
Hernandez said that the power crisis has affected all sectors of society, most particularly the workers who daily toil in workplaces despite the brownouts just to make their business employers stay afloat amidst the rising cost of doing business just to earn their daily wages.
“This power crisis is now spawning a host of other problems and the hardest hit sector is those of the daily wage-earners,” he stressed.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) recently warned of “severe” job losses in Mindanao because of the power crisis that continue to cripple down various job-generating sectors in the island.
TUCP Secretary-General Ernesto Herrera said that based on their projections, at least 10,000 workers in farming and fishing sectors, mining, food and wood industries will be affected.
Also to be affected are workers in power-intensive industries such as the steel and cement manufacturing, canning, commercial fishing, food processing, retail trade and telecommunications.
Hernandez said this is because if government cannot find a solution to the power crisis in the short term, businesses will be forced to retrench workers to cope with the rising cost of doing business in Mindanao.
AMIN, number 81 in the ballot, is a party-list group founded in Mindanao to advance the aspirations and dreams of Mindanawons for lasting peace, equity and development. It is among the party-list groups that won seats in Congress since the party-list system was introduced in the country’s political system.
AMIN was formed to effect reforms in the electoral and form of governance in Mindanao and in the rest of the country, in general; promote genuine peace and sustainable development in the country, particularly in Mindanao; and to work for a just and humane economic, political and cultural condition of all peoples, especially the marginalized sector.
In the May 10, 2010 elections, AMIN is seeking to return to Congress to continue pushing for the “Mindanao Agenda.”
And job security are part of this “Mindanao Agenda” of AMIN.
“All businesses in Mindanao are now in a survival mode. But we just cannot let them survive and do nothing for the survival of our brothers and sisters who are dependent on these businesses. They are also in a survival mode now. And we must ensure that both employer and employee survived this crisis now,” he said.
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Campaigning yesterday in Cabanatuan, NP-NPC-LDP vice presidential bet Loren Legarda called for extensive consultation in the agriculture, climate change and health committees of the Senate, all of which she chairs, in order to address food security and health issues.
Legarda seeks to put an end to the heavy importation of rice and vegetables, which kills the local farming industry and causes local food prices to spike.
"Massive importation of rice and vegetables not only kills the local farming industry but also leads to higher prices of food, which in turn threatens the nation's health by making healthy, adequate food more inaccessible. Food security and health issues are closely intertwined. I am trying to address both of these in the committees that I chair in the Senate," she said.
Further, Legarda said climate change must be considered in setting government's food and health policy.
"Climate change is a challenge to both the agriculture and health sectors of the country. With resources becoming more and scarcer, especially water, agricultural production has greatly diminished. Without adequate food, we jeopardize our nation's health," said Legarda.
She also reiterated her call for government to release the El Nino funds to rescue the country's agriculture and fisheries sectors.
“I appeal to all who process papers in agriculture and fishery bureaucracy for the release of funds for El Nino-related purposes in agriculture and fisheries. Please expedite paper work. Namamatay na ang mga tanim at mga hayop.,“ she said.
“It is critical now that we give extension support to our farmers, and provide them technical and financial assistance. For instance, we should start teaching them to plant drought-resistant crops,” said Legarda.
The NDCC has reported that 300,000 hectares of agricultural land and P5.11 billion worth of crops have been damaged by El Nino.
Meanwhile, Loren said that ‘To ignore climate change is to neglect the poor’
Loren Legarda today challenged all candidates running for national positions to tackle climate change, “an issue that is no longer the abstract, unintelligible concept that it was before. Climate change is real. You can see it in the daily struggles of the poor today.”
Legarda, the only candidate carrying environmental issues in her national campaign, cited the plight of farmers against El Nino, hunger, poverty, and the spread of disease as "everyday effects of climate change".
“Ang mga pinaka-apektado ng climate change ay ang mga mahihirap. Sino ba ang nawawalan ng ani tuwing tagtuyot? Sino ang nasasalanta ng mas madalas at mas makapaminsalang bagyo? Sino ang tinatamaan ng malaria, dengue at iba pang mga sakit na dulot ng climate change?” she said.
“The time of climate change cynics is over. We have no time for apathy and inaction. Climate change is a real issue, felt by the poorest, most vulnerable of our people," she said.
PHILIP JAMES MONGAYA TREMEDAL
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