VIETNAM to provide for the answer of our country’s rice problem presently devastating almost all households by way of an international agreement?
But the next question ought to be asked if only to put UNTA our country into alert status is: Is our country, the beloved Philippines, not an agricultural country?
Indeed, it is! Or if only to be specific- should it be, it WAS?
Short Cuts was only in Grade IV in the early 50s. Including Short Cuts’ classmates, we were all mandated to cultivate a one-plot garden. While in the process of developing our respective gardens planted with vegetable together with my classmates we were all told that our country is an agricultural territory.
About to graduate in the secondary course, we were also told of the same record – that the Philippines is an agricultural country.
Through out the years in Short Cuts’ life even as a college student, the same record was instilled in his mind.
Even in the years that Short Cuts served as town executive, the record was always repeated by national and provincial leaders.
Never did Short Cuts doubted on the record he always hear during those specific years– that the Philippines is an agricultural country.
Why?
Short Cuts’ father was already a tenant to an almost two-hectare lot of riceland right here in our province and located at Short Cuts’ hometown, at Valencia, specifically at the famous Panangatan Valley.
With that record, he always accompany his father to the riceland during land preparation and most specially during harvest time. In most cases also, he participated in the weeding of the rice paddies in the month of June for the wet season and in the month of December for the dry season.
Short Cuts’ assumption to office as the town executive of his town added more information that our country is an agricultural country. He had already a wide latitude of experience in visiting almost all towns in the province. Some other towns and provinces in the country were not excepted.
In fact, in the early 70s he, together with all the town executives of the province and the provincial officials led by former Governor Lino Chatto, visited the wide ricelands of Leyte at LGU Alangalang.
Leyte was then a one-province island.
It was such an amazing and very memorable tour!
Why?
That was the first time that Short Cuts was able to witness a rice harvester and land tractor operating right on the rice land.
Therefore, to Short CShort Cuts’ uts’ mind and as a matter of record from the Department of Agriculture, Philippines is an agricultural country from grade school days until . . . . . .
Some twenty years ago our country began to suffer rice deficiency.
So, what could be the difference?
The country has increased in population NOW as against the decreasing hectarage of rice land?
To Short Cuts coconut shell, lack of support from government – either national, provincial, or municipal – is one of the major issues. These days, hardly could a farmer get organic fertilizers for his farm. Wages of farm hands are rising, too. To put it simply – production cost is very hard to match as against the selling price of BUGAS these days.
With the present scenario, can this problem be solved with an international agreement with Vietnam?
No way!
