by ERNESTO T. SOLIDUM
Photo shows (l to r) Atty. Niovady Marin, Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino, Dr. Danilo Abayon, Ms. Megs S. Lunn, Ret. Gen. Fred Romero, Juan P. Dayang, and Edwin R. Ramos. For the first time, the Kapihan Sa Aklan was held at Carmen Hotel @ NVC, Kalibo, Aklan and will be the venue for the next two months.
The Kapihan Sa Aklan, a forum welcomed the invitation of Atty. Allen S. Quimpo to hold its forum at Carmen Hotel @ NVC, Pastrana Street, Kalibo. Hence, Carmen Hotel served as the venue on July 27, 2012. Carmen Hotel @ NVC will serve as such for the next two months.
Dr. Danilo Abayon, Pres. Aklan State University (ASU), Ret. Gen. Fred Romero, Pres. Aklan Seed Growers Assn., Atty. Niovady Marin, Mr. Juan P. Dayang, and Ms. Lilian Q. Tirol discussed the topic, “Personal View on the 2012 SONA” of Pres. Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III.
According to Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 6.4 percent, the Philippines could no longer be considered the sick man of Asia but an emerging tiger. This is a defining moment since almost all countries are suffering economic downturn.
Based on record, the Aquino administration delivered P192 million to thousands of Aklanon families under the Conditional Cash Transfer program. With P238.8 billion allotted for education in 2012, there could be remarkable delivery of basic services like filing up vacant teaching positions, classroom and textbook shortages. For these, the former Vice Governor rated Pres. Aquino’s previous performance 80 percent.
Former RTC Judge Niovady Marin underscored that 6.4 percent could be attributed to earnings by OFW’s. Hence, could not impact the lives of majority of poor families. It could be a different scenario if this is attributed to agri-industrial growth because it will have immediate trickledown effect. Economic roadmap that deals with mining and sin taxes (alcohol and tobacco are not yet definite). Fast tracking the issue on mining could be significant in view of our rich mineral reserves.
ASU is among the State universities and colleges benefited by 43.61 percent budget increase. Dr. Abayon however clarified the actual increase for the institution is only 38.6 percent since it received partial increase last year. The above funding will upgrade salaries of faculty members, teaching competencies of instructors, research and establishment of National Fiber Center (Abaca, piña, raffia, coconut)
On the issue of mitigating poverty and unemployment, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) are mandated to enhance global competitiveness of youth in the labor market. Providing the best education will increase the chance of acquiring a good job and income. Presently, we are rationalizing higher education with establishment of Regional University System and equitable distribution of budget allocation based on performance, Dr. Abayon stressed.
Gen. Romero cited gains of the Aquino administration under Secretary Proceso Alcala of Department of Agriculture (DA). From huge rice importation of 1.3 million metric tons (mt) in the previous decade, this is 800,000 mt in 2011 and 500,000 mt this year. The DA current budget is P54 billion and priority is to reduce high post harvest losses. Philrice data show that as high as 16.5 percent of total palay production is lost during harvesting, threshing, drying and milling. (Although losses in storage is excluded, yet it is a significant 3.0 percent.
Presently, the Makinasaka program will give farmers in Aklan P15 million worth of farm machines: power tillers, threshers and combine harvesters.
While farmers in other Asian countries are better off, majority of our farmers are wallowing in poverty. To address the problem, there is a petition to the Hon. Secretary of DA to act on the following: a) increase the buying price of palay from P17.00/kg to P20.00/kg.; b) subsidize the production input of seeds and fertilizers; c) National Food Authority (NFA) must be sole importer of rice, corn and other grains; and d) DA must re-assume the direct supervision and control over agricultural technologists in the provinces and municipalities.
Johny Dayang noted the almost all prominent hotels in Metro Manila like Rembrandt, Manila Hotel, Manila Peninsula, Sulo Hotel are holding weekly Kapihan sessions. This Kapihan Sa Aklan is very significant development and a big boost to communication and info dissemination in Aklan.
On tourism, every Aklanon should rejoice over the announcement that Boracay is the number one island tourists destination in the world.
Tourism generates jobs. This is seen in labor statistics that three local jobs are created for every tourist visiting the country. For the Aklanons, this is good opportunity to be in the service sector but surprisingly jobs in Boracay are cornered by outsiders. Reason: local applicants are not competent, poor in communication skills and undesirable work attitude. Weighing heavily against local residents is the habit of going home every time there are family gatherings like baptism, graduation, reunion, death, fiesta, and birthday. DepEd and CHED may gradually produce graduates with desirable work ethics and desired competency.
The possibility of attaining rice self-sufficiency by 2013 is welcome development. Imagine importing 1.3 million mts annually! This is subsidizing foreign farmers.
Crooks come with illegal importation flooding the market with cheap rice. NFA compounds the misery of farmers by selling under-valued rice to maintain artificial low price of rice. This is disservice and disincentive to Filipino farmers to increase production. It’s no wonder that Filipino farmers are still practicing antiquated farming method.
Actually, the 6.4 percent GDP covers only the first quarter of 2012. Financing institutions like the Asian Development Bank, Standard Chartered Bank project a conservative estimate of less than 5 percent for 2012 considering recession abroad.
The 6.4 percent is much less than the projected growth of 7-8 percent to lift five million Filipino households out of poverty. The phenomenal growth realized at start of 2012 was the result of massive investments in infra in the last three months of 2011. During the first nine months of P-noy’s administration, big ticket infra projects were stopped for critical evaluation and modification.
Our technical scientific manpower is adversely threatened by the yearly exodus of intellectuals called brain drain. Bureau of Labor and Employment statistics show that science and technology graduates who went abroad rose from 9,877 in 1998 to 24,502 in 2009. This is 250 percent increase in a span of 12 years. Indeed, it is nonsense investing P1 million for one college graduate only for export. But equally nonsense to remain in this country waiting for jobs. Better invest one million pesos per graduate who will become an entrepreneur and job creator.
A rational program on economic development for the country could be a returned to basics: strengthen agriculture, eco-tourism, and small and medium industries. Improve Aklan’s twin program in Agriculture and Tourism designed to benefit more Aklanons. /MP
No comments:
Post a Comment