Economic paradox
Man at the Market
Jesse E.L. Bacon II
02/05/2010
Government claims notwithstanding, the Philippine economy is still agriculture based, thus it is ironical for the country to be importing agricultural products such as rice and now sugar.
This phenomenon is a testament to the sorry state of agriculture paradoxically in a country where almost 80 percent of its population reside in the rural areas and whose main livelihood is tied to the soil. But years of neglect due to lack of foresight on the part of government, especially the current one, pushed this country to its present agricultural production woes.
Just a decade or so ago, we were one of the region’s top rice producing countries, now we have sunk to the lowest rung among the countries in the region in terms of rice production. Currently, we are even the biggest rice importer not only in the region but in the entire world. Just imagine this. We are just thankful that the Arroyo administration is not bragging about this as a sign of our being economically prosperous since we have already graduated from being a producer to a buyer of this staple food.
I am afraid one day soon, huge tarpaulin streamers will also be plastered on pedestrian overpasses thanking President Arroyo for this achievement of being a rice producer before to being a rice importer currently.
Malacañang has just issued a new executive order authorizing the National Food Authority to import sugar, an agricultural commodity that we were once a top supplier in the world. What is suspect in these importations is that government does not seem to hurry in putting in place any policy of addressing the shortage of the above agricultural commodities.
Apparently, the government is resigned to the fact that we will just import rice and sugar instead of addressing the concerns of the sectors that produce them. Could this be because of the “tongpats” some unscrupulous officials in the Arroyo administration are getting for every ton of rice and sugar imported by the country as some sectors had suggested?
Within the year the government intends to import 150,00 tons of sugar and hundreds of thousands of tons of rice as well. If say a P1,000 tongpats is slapped on every ton of imported sugar and rice, imagine how much is lined for the pockets of these unscrupulous officials who will be smiling from ear to ear on their way to the bank.
Slip of the tongue?
Even before the regional trial court judge trying the double murder case of late publicist Bubby Dacer and his driver could rule to include Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson in the charge sheet thus issue the corresponding warrant for his arrest, Arroyo administration lackeys had already been announcing to all and sundry that an arrest warrant had already been issued against the senator. Could this just be a slip of the tongue or are they simply pre-empting the judge to actually issue the warrant?
Slip of the tongue or not, these pronouncements by these lackeys just proved Lacson’s fear that the charges leveled against him is part of an evil conspiracy hatched to have him jailed for his crusades against the corruption of this administration. How could these lackeys be so certain that the judge will rule according to their wishes and have Lacson included in the charge sheet if they do not salivate to see the day that their number one nemesis is in jail?
This behavior on the part of these lackeys justifies to a certain extent Lacson’s move not to give them the joy of seeing him handcuffed. For sure this is just a tactical move. Lacson cannot afford to be away forever and it is not in his character to shy away from challenges like this. Apparently, he is just waiting on how the judge would rule on the case sent her by the Department of Justice panel who conducted the preliminary investigation of the decade-old case. Many, including this columnist, are of the belief Lacson will come out when the current Malacañang occupant will no longer be in position of exerting pressure in the resolution of this case.
(Send your reactions to jelbacon@yahoo.com)
