"Great directives by PRRD to unlock the potentials of the agriculture sector" says William Dar in his Facebook sharing above. That was about the SONA last Monday.
Yes, Sir, but we do have to be careful. The SONA was a failure in speechwriting (see my essay, "PRRD's SONA – Colorful Words Flying, Malacañang Media Boys Flailing," 24 July 2019, Journalism for Inclusive Development, jinclude.blogspot.com); no, we don't want a failure in inclusive development without planning.
Not only from you but from General Santos City in Southwestern Mindanao and Alaminos City in Central Luzon have come 2 endorsements of the SONA pronouncements on the aggie funds:
22 July, from Alfredo Bronx Hebrona, who has been Regional Governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Southwestern Mindanao (Allen Estabillo, 22 July 2019, "Biz Leader Hails PRRD's Commitment To Agri Sector," Philippine News Agency, pna.gov.ph).
24 July, from Leonardo Montemayor, who has been Secretary General of the Federation of Free Farmers, FFF, and now Peasant Sector Representative (Party List) (Jasper Y Arcalas, 24 July 2019, "Congress Must Heed Duterte's Order To Pass Coco-Levy Bill," BusinessMirror, businessmirror.com.ph).
But we must be careful: Easy come, easy go!
There was this 1947 American film "Easy Come, Easy Go" (Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org) of winners and losers (mostly losers), each one who held money in their hands and who each gambled the whole sum away.
In our case, the Coco Levy Fund is worth at least P100 billion, and the National Economic & Development Authority, NEDA, has promised the release of P10 Billion from the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, RCEF, in the 3rd quarter of this year (pressreader.com).
Isn't that great for our farmers!?
Not yet, no. It's all potential. We might be gambling away those billions of pesos without realizing it.
Certainly, the Coco Fund for the coconut farmers and the Rice Fund for the rice farmers are all meant to improve the lives of the farmers and those of their families, but:
"A goal without a plan is just a wish" – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
We do not have a common Aggie Roadmap.
On 04 July 2019, I wrote an essay, "Wanted: Roadmap To PH Agriculture In 'New Thinking' – William Dar" (j'include, jinclude.blogspot.com). There, I quoted Mr Dar as saying:
The roadmap should be guided by the following goals: increased productivity, profitability, competitiveness, sustainability and resilience.
"The map?" says Patrick White, Australian writer. "I will first make it." First, we have to make the map to where we want to go and then we can happily spend all those billions of pesos!
Else? Easy come, easy go.
To be practical about it, why do we need an Aggie Roadmap? If we follow the recommendations of Mr Dar for "increased productivity, profitability, competitiveness, sustainability and resilience," first we have to work out the strategies so that:
PH farmers become productive. And,
PH farming becomes profitable. And,
PH farming becomes competitive. And,
PH farmers' improved lives and those of their families become sustainable. And,
PH farmers become resilient to any adversity!@517
PH farming becomes profitable. And,
PH farming becomes competitive. And,
PH farmers' improved lives and those of their families become sustainable. And,
PH farmers become resilient to any adversity!@517
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