Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Mocking the Farmers

The municipality of Kalibo has prepared a supplemental budget worth about P4.2 million. The proposal was included in the agenda discussed during the March 4 SB session.

The big chunk of the P4.2 million is being appropriated for the purchase of tables, chairs, air condition units, and computers. A minute amount of P20,000.00 is recommended expenditure for food security. The P20,000.00 after spending it is expected to increase food production by 50 percent.

This is a miracle when it happens! What can you buy with P20,000.00? That is good for 20 bags of commercial fertilizer. But it is surely not enough to purchase one unit of 4-inch irrigation pump. Can P20,000 budget increase food production by 50 percent over the previous season?

What A Mockery!

This is mocking the farmers and fisherfolks. May this P4.2 million be program to provide a bigger budget for food production.

How can LGU Kalibo mitigate the negative effects of El Niño? With P20,000?
But according to Hon. Soviet Russia Dela Cruz, the Municipal Agricultural office has not spent all its 2009 budget. Why appropriate more funds when the officials concerned has not spent all?

Wow! What is the LGU agricultural produc-tivity program? Its Vulgan Hatchery project in Pook is not functioning. Is it? What is the reason why that project is not functioning?

Are the rice, corn and vegetable areas provided with irrigation facilities? No. That money could have been expended to provide irrigation facilities to the cropland and make the Vulgan hatchery project operational.

Force Resignation

Those government officials who have filed their certificate of candidacy has the prime duty to resign from their present position.

Their resignation will be in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling "ordering appointed officials seeking elective posts in the May 10 national and local elections to immediately resign from their posts".

How many of our officials in Aklan are affected by this Supreme Court decision? If they are covered they must resign now.

If they have not resigned clinging to their positions, what shall we call them? Greedy for power? Are they rude? Are they disobedient to legal orders?

For those Aklanons concerned or covered by this supreme court order, they have no recourse but to resign. /MP