I am reading Mara Cepeda’s Rappler news report, “Robredo To Give At Least P116 Billion For Agriculture If She Wins In 2022[1]” (29 Nov 2021):
If Vice President Leni Robredo becomes the next Philippine President, she plans to allot at least P116 billion for agriculture on her first year, more than double… what President Rodrigo Duterte’s government gave the pandemic-hit sector in 2021.
Repeat: “More than double” what PRRD has given to Agriculture this year. Very Good! I say. But not good enough, as I will explain in a little while.
To be fair, Leni does point out that the Department of Agriculture (DA) had requested a total budget of P284.4 Billion for 2021; but what was approved was only P68.6 Billion, not even half of the request. I say our legislators do notgive much value to PH Agriculture, while our Vice President is playing her guts, coming from the boondocks, which she terms “laylayan ng lipunan” (fringes of society). She sympathizes; she empathizes.
Leni’s Big Budget for DA will go into “funding more climate-resilient crops that farmers can (grow) in their provinces.” As an agriculturist and a warrior writer & blogger for climate change in the last 21 years, I say focusing on “climate-resilient crops” is a very intelligent choice. I must say Leni has in her team a good mind or two thinking agriculture for development!
Now then, she talks about the distribution of that budget (from hereon, I am translating her freely):
When we say it’s justified, where are the opportunities? Which ones are the most resilient subsectors of agriculture? Where there are those opportunities, we should give more, we must give bigger allotments.
Now she’s talking much sense! “Where are the opportunities?” Naturally, she equates the opportunities with the climate-change resilient sectors of Agriculture. What did school dropout-turned-billionaire-Virgin-Group-owner British Richard Branson say about solving problems? “Don't See Obstacles, See Opportunities[2].”
We have not been giving more focus to budgeting for the more climate-resilient crops, as far as agriculture is concerned. Because we are always taking into consideration the per-province basis, what are the climate conditions there? What are the types of soils there? What should be the budget for the more climate-resilient crops, we must look into that.
Ms Mara says, “The Vice President then pointed out the need to fund more climate-friendly crops (that) farmers can harvest (more from), depending on conditions in their provinces.” Yes, Ma’am, your Total Agriculture budget must be farmer-friendly, and the crops cultivated pocket-friendly!
Nonetheless, as an agriculturist, I declare that even with that Agriculture Budget trebled to P348 Billion, I am not yet convinced to vote for her as President! Why?
First & above all, I must know where she is coming from, what is her Vision for the whole Philippines – her Guide for her Leadership, a near-future Philippines we can all be excited about? A leader without Vision has only Ambition!@517
[1]https://www.rappler.com/nation/elections/robredo-to-give-billions-agriculture-if-she-wins-2022-polls?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1zN5Ezc6RldxF8fsYpMRBAMOAKZzz7oN8jAYiJNU4KsSiR7bGQFVF-e-8#Echobox=1638158327
[2]https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/richard-branson/richard-branson-business-advice_b_1931712.html
No comments:
Post a Comment