ONE of the many “jokes” facing the nation nowadays is the planned 20-kilo subsidized rice program. The word “subsidized” is already a clincher.
This means that the government will import rice at high cost and then sells them at low cost at 20 per kilo by allocating 3.5 to 4.5 billion pesos. Di pod ta maka-ingon nga locally-produced rice ni kay wala baya ibalita nga duna tay very bountiful rice harvest, so imported gyod ni.
Import meaning buy rice from Vietnam because we don’t have that much rice from local farmers.
So instead of spending this money (4.5 billion pesos) to boost the country’s rice production, we are spending the money to buy rice from Vietnam farmers.
As such, this is only temporary, a mere band-aid solution and obviously timed for the upcoming elections next month.
Nganong wa man ni buhata last year, or the year before, tubaga daw beh?
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Reports said the directive from BBM was to make this a sustainable program.
How – by spending more money to buy rice from Vietnam, and not improve our capacity to produce our own rice and extending more support to our farmers?
Do we have that much budget to continue with this program bearing in mind the ever burgeoning budget deficit?
Of course, the national budget for food production is not that much and politicians both in the national and local level do not prioritize agriculture. Top on the list is always, and has been, infra projects.
Why?
Kay sa infra projects naa may kikik, SOP, komisyon and the like but zero from food production program except pa-picture-picture lang para pisbok.
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Reports said the House of Representatives is committed to supporting agricultural modernization, mechanization, high-quality seed distribution, blah, blah, blah.
Nindota unta og tinuod pa.
Tan-awa ra god nang 2025 budget og pila ray ilang gi-budget sa agriculture then i-compare sa ilang gi-budget sa DPWH and DSWD aron mahibaw-an og nagsulti ba gyod ni sila sa tinuod.
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Now back to BBMs 20-per kilo rice subsidized program.
The only way to address the perennial food shortage is to formulate both long-term and short-term solutions.
If BBM will only focus on short-term solution like this subsidized 20-kilo rice program, then this will not improve but will only further degrade our capacity to produce our own food.
We will be forever called food mendicants even when the country is supposed to be rich in natural resources.
Magsalig ra ta pirmi sa uban para sa atong pagkaon, husto diay na? Magsalig lang ta kanunay og palit, dili lang diay ta magtanom?
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There are admin defenders who say we should be grateful, and not bash, BBM because he is now fulfilling his promise of 20-kilo rice.
Pastilan, kon gibuhat pa lang unta ni niya adtong time nga siya ang milingkod as DA Secretary, dili gyod unta ni mogawas nga cheap “vote-buying” scheme para sa Alyansa senatorial bets. After all, this idea is not that novel or require much thinking or analysis because this is just a very simple matter of importing rice.
Maayo pod siya mo-timing nga motuman kunohay sa iyang saad nga tag 20-kilo ang rice human mogawas ang resulta sa survey nga mi-bagsak ang iyang ratings.
Maayo pod nga pagka-timing nga baratohon kintahay ang bugas sa panahon nga duol na ang piniliay, lisod pod tuhoan nga na-timing lang ni.
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Accordingly, this program will be jointly funded by the national and local government. No problem on the part of the national government, they can include this in the national budget.
But how about the local governments, can they afford to provide an additional budget for the 20-kilo rice program?
Pila ra kaha ka LGU ang makahimo ani, the rest, ambot lang.
Wala na man gani funding ang mga municipal health centers, unsaon na kaha kon pun-an pa para sa ka BBM nga rice program?
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Diha na toy hilabihang mahala nga flood control project si BBM sa una, binilyon pod ang budget adto, pero unsay resulta, asa na man to ron?
Unya karon, naa na pod ning very brilliant idea nga 20-kilo rice program.
Hahay, sigi man lang ta ani og trial and error, mostly error.
Sakto pa ba ni?
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Meanwhile, much of the world’s economy are in shambles owing to US President Donald Trump’s “liberation day” on tariffs. By imposing a minimum of 10% tariffs to all countries, except for China’s 145% and Canada’s 45%, on all goods to the US, and the reciprocal tariffs from other countries, everybody is adversely affected.
The trade war is affecting not just the producers/manufacturers but also the consumers all over the world, prompting the formation of regional alliances to immediately address the worsening situation.
Trump’s tariffs’ policy was launched on April 2.
Question – have we heard of anything from BBM about his plans relative to this since then?
Morag mingaw pa mas awaaw, wa gyoy timik.
While rich countries like Singapore, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia are hastily convening meetings to generate regional alliances, the Philippines is yes, dedma lang.
In fact, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go recently brushed off the impact of Trump’s imposition of tariff on Philippine goods entering America, seeing it as a boon rather than a bane for the country’s economic future.
Susmariosep.
Asa ka boon?
We are more on imports than exports, and Trump’s tariffs is a boon? Unsaon na man lang ang atong mga agricultural goods to the US?
Pagka-hilas paminawon oi.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) even said that “the ripple effect of absorbing extra costs will be hardest on small businesses, particularly those in agriculture and food processing.
