SUPPLY of sugar in the markets declining? Rice for consumption in the entire country at its lowest ebb?
If these observations are true, as the sun rises on the east, what could have been the major reasons that could attribute to such situations?
It is a fact, that earlier this month, issue on the declining supply of rice that affected Filipino families dominated the headlines. Not only the national papers touched on the issue. Radio and TV sets also played on the same concern.
Unfortunately also, the ending days of the third week of this month made headlines on national papers and TV sets on the scarcity of sugar. In fact, everyone was told that some families in the capital city of Manila are now substituting sugar with honeybee as duly reported on TV sets.
And, so why?
Dili ba ang katapulan sa two maoy hinungdan?
Let’s discuss first on the issue of rice shortage!
If every Filipino were only industrious, honest, patient, and time conscious, in his duties as farmer in his own territory, this predicament could have been out of the picture.
Short Cuts is just too honest in revealing the truth on the KINA-IYA of many of our brothers and sisters in either government or private employment.
Many of these personalities, when still jobless, were normally on the farms tilling their respective family farms. But, truth to tell, they are not only working hard on their farms. They also work HARD for employment either in government or in private enterprises.
Indeed, they love employment!
But, they do not like to be self-employed!
In fact, they prefer government employment to private employment.
For what reason?
Hayahay kuno ang trabaho sa gobyerno!
This particular commentary is too old a thing to be discarded. It is still and still prevailing these days. The spirt is still very ALIVE.
How come that Short Cuts is knowledgeable on this?
It was on the ending day of last week that he visited a farm of a local government unit under its local agricultural officer. Even with around seven casuals in the office of the municipal agriculturist, the municipal farm, the premises, and everything in the compound looked shabby.
There was no semblance even of a square meter of a cleaned portion of the premises!
In Short Cuts’ observation, even casual employees in the government lost interest in spending extra hours for household chores after their office hours.
Why not plant high valued crops on Saturdays and Sundays if only to augment production for the family?
No piece of land to plant?
Too lame as an excuse!
Now, on the issue of scarcity on the supply of sugar.
This issue can easily be answered with this question in vernacular: Ngano man sa guerrilla days (1942 – 1945), daghan man ug kamay ang among barangay ug lungsod?
In the early 40s, hundreds of hectares of land in our barangay and in the town were devoted to the planting of sugar canes.
Ug unya karon, nganong wala na may sugar cane nga gitanum?
Short Cuts believes that this query can only be answered by our government, be it national or local.
And in ensuring food security to the total population of the country, our government must take the lead!
