Entrepreneurial Farmer

The Need For Media To Highlight Agriculture

By Ambrosio R. Villorente

With the present situation now happening in the Philippines, especially in Aklan, it is time for media entities and its members to devote more time to feature agriculture and fishery development, production and marketing. It is suggested that more space maybe allotted in the newspapers and more time for radio and television for stories on farm and water resources production and utilization.
As long as there are lives, food and water will remain the basic needs as there are other needs like housing, healthcare and more. And media as one of the instruments of productivity need to devote a proportionate time and space in its treatment of stories and activities relevant to food production and utilization.
Majority of the Aklanons appears to believe that Aklan is self sufficient in fish being situated and surrounded by water; 12 of the 17 municipalities are coastal; and the province is traversed by the Aklan river. But that is a paradox because Aklan now imports two (2) trucks of milkfish weekly from Batangas which are raised in Taal Lake.
Media, must consider the percentage of the 87 million Filipinos who are malnourished because of lack of food and or the improper food intakes. Media must consider the imbalance of population increase annually the food production as it diminishes brought about by rapid land conversion and the increasing cost of production. Media must consider the use of farmers and fisherfolks to get bigger appropriation of the annual budget only to be stolen by corrupt government officials.
Perhaps, at this time, media may re-allocate its time devoted to sob-stories to agriculture and natural resources development and productivity.

On The Kalibo Food Festival Sa Kalye

Most music and food aficionados, tourists, visitors and balikbayans, despite the 100 Peso entrance on the last day of the 11th Kalibo Food Festival Sa Kalye on June 23, gathered at the Kalibo Pastrana Park to dine delicious food, enjoy the company of their friends, family and peers. They listened and danced to the tunes of the local pop band, 24K, the Iloilo reggae band, Bahaghari, and the popular reggae music of the Brownman Revival.
The Kalibo Food Festival Sa Kalye was one of the features in Saint John the Baptist fest. According to Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo, the food festival is held annually to greatly benefit the restaurants and the hotel services in the Ati-Atihan town of Kalibo in partnership with the Kalibo Ati-Atihan Tourism Council and private companies.
The highlight of the festival is Brownman Revival’s performance who literally rocked the house with their popular songs. They prompted the audience to dance and sing with then as they sang most of their tracks in their album "Steady Lang" featuring "Binibini", "Lintik" and "Maling Akala". /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com