Rise for Rice

This is my second article about the rice crisis in the Philippines (yep, I’ve finally admitted it). This time, I am writing in outward defense for our hardworking and honorable farmers who are one of the victims of this crisis.

Anyone should know better than to ridicule the men who have worked a whole year round under the scorching sun to cultivate the soil, plant and then harvest the main staple in the Country. She has done it though, and in one simple phrase of a long speech – a subtle, almost-silent, closed to unintentional, way:

“For a long time it [has been] cheaper to buy rice than to produce rice” (source: www.inquirer.net 04-29-2008).

A move to choose importation over supporting its farmers is one of the greatest mistakes a president can ever make. She, a “true” economist, said that importation is cheaper than supporting the hundreds of thousands of gallons of water used in farms every year. No surprise why agriculture has not gotten the attention and support it deserves.

Being realistic is acceptable. Degrading your honorable men is another. I am only saddened to hear a president give up the fight for its men who are producing the main grain, main product, in the Country. It may not be intentional, but accepting that will mean accepting that you have somebody at the top who is not looking close enough.

Now, Vietnam and Thailand have stopped exporting rice to the Philippines. With the looming global rice crisis, more and more countries will keep its own product for itself to keep its people alive. The more scarce supply is, the higher its price will become. If we don’t stand up on our own and start becoming self-sufficient now, then we’ll never be.

Celebrating Human Adaptability?

Oh great Filipinos! Rice shortage has indeed stretched our fellow common Filipino again. No, Filipinos will not suffer. Filipinos will survive because they will be eating some thing else – patatas (potato), mais (corn), and camote.

What a crap. I should be celebrating human adaptability now but how can I, when I know that there is “something else” behind this so-called rice-shortage issue?

I was born in Cagayan, far north in the Philippines where rice is the major product. If you ask me, I don’t think there is rice shortage at all. I went home last Holy Week (Semana) and as usual saw the loads of trucks full of rice sacks being transported from the Province to Manila. Harvest is not as good as last year, but it’s not great either. In short, there should be enough. I don’t think someone will contest that. What is wrong then?

Some say the lack or absence of the proper and strong law implementation of laws that punish people stealing, smuggling and “locking away” rice. Some say the Government simply refuses to appropriate budget to improve agriculture and livestock. Both of these only point out how misused our resources are in this Country. What happened to the Fertilizer scam? I would have preferred to talk all about agriculture but politics is getting in the way.

It’s sad how a Country like ours with vast land for farm and livestock may possibly fail to support itself because of politics. Of course, Filipinos will survive and can adapt with scarcity, even the poorest can, but never with bad politics.