Barking up the wrong tree

Taking the cudgels for tobacco farmers from China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, the International Tobacco Growers Association is attacking the World Health Organization for a treaty in 2003 that has resulted in the phasing out of tobacco growing.

Representing the country in the ITGA is the Philippine Tobacco Growers Association, which in fact is attending the three-day summit in Kuala Lumpur that ends today that aims to mobilize affected tobacco farmers in Asia whose livelihood is threatened by the treaty signed with governments of 168 countries.

The issue pertains to the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), an accord that commits, among others, to helping tobacco farmers find viable economic alternatives that would replace their earnings from growing tobacco.

At the heart of the treaty is a firm belief in the right of all people to the highest standard of health that is currently being threatened by a rapidly spreading epidemic caused by continued and abusive tobacco use.

Based on researches and consequential findings, tobacco use – like many habit-forming substances – has been directly linked to an ongoing global outbreak of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and cancer, as well as chronic lung disease and diabetes.

Assist tobacco farmers shift to better livelihood

If the PTGA and the ITGA indeed cared about such evidence-based findings, instead of taking an adversarial role in this worldwide health campaign, they should focus on helping governments and affected tobacco farmers from finding better sources of livelihood.

Tobacco growing, after all, is inarguably an occupation that is directly linked to smoking-related health hazards in the midst of continued massive advertising and promotional campaigns of tobacco product manufacturers and distributors.

It would be worthwhile to point out that, at this stage, tobacco growing had been on a decline in the Philippines even before the FCTC treaty had been signed. Aside from a growing consciousness about the perils of smoking, farmers were also seeing lower profits from tobacco farming and voluntarily shifting to other farming products.

I hope that the PTGA will see how cigar and cigarette smoking is one practice that should be heavily controlled so that Filipinos can live a longer life. If the PTGA wants to bark, it should find the right tree.

Readers on various topics

Let’s hear what Nelly Dayon Duckett of Negros Occidental has to say about the series of articles that this column had published on the need to restructure the tax structure on cigarettes and liquor. Here goes.

“I fully support you on smoking and liquor tax. Cigarrettes are a drug and it would take a really big rise to make a difference in what is already being smoked. The tax should go to health issues.”

From one of the residents of Bangkal, Makati, some encouraging words supporting our continued advocacy on the safety of the operations of the petroleum product pipeline running from Batangas to Pandacan, Manila. Read on.

“I am Hector Lopez, one of the many affected and concerned residents of Bangkal, Makati. I am glad that through your column, people would be able to appreciate the concerns of the residents of Bangkal over this long, unresolved problem caused by the FPIC oil pipeline leak and that they would realize the pipeline has served its purpose; it’s time to put it to rest.”

On alternative energy investments

This column’s position on solar energy and incentives given by the government to investors interested in setting up alternative energy plants is likewise picking up some support, recently from a reader that sells solar panel solutions in the country. Tom Peebles of Solsys Power Solutions, Inc. writes:

“Would just like to write and commend you on your “When FiT is not healthy” article in The Philippine Star. A rational counterpoint to the arguments being made by solar advocacy groups is long overdue in this country.

“Although we are in the industry and could stand to profit from such a sudden influx of investment, we do not believe that such an artificially stimulated market would serve the best interests of the burgeoning local industry, not to mention what the increase in power costs would do to the population, as you point out.

“The beauty of solar is that it produces low voltage power and is both highly scaleable and portable. It lends itself perfectly to end-user applications under a “distributed generation” model, as opposed to the centralized grid-feed currently being pushed. There’s no need for transmission lines, step-up/down voltage transformers and it tracks the peak time of use perfectly.

“We hope, in time, the powers that be will realize this and focus their attentions on schemes to promote end user investment, enabling people to become their own power producers and in effect democratizing the power business.

“With P12/kwh retail power rates, the Philippines is already at “grid-parity” with regards to solar, so it probably wouldn’t take much to get the ball rolling.

“Anyway, just wanted to communicate our support to you directly and let you know – there are some industry insiders that whole-heartedly agree with you!”

On having fun in the Philippines

Lastly, let’s give the floor to David, who writes about his tourism experience in the country.

“I am an American married to a Filipina. Fifty years ago while on my way to Viet Nam by passing through the Philippines, my beloved next door neighbor Mrs. Garcia, a Filipino, who was a nurse in Minneapolis, gave me a small bar of soap to stick in my pocket. She told me to carry it when I went sightseeing or any place in the Philippines because the bathrooms were stinking filthy and without soap no matter where I went.

“The same is true today throughout the nation: Government buildings, shopping malls, restaurants, hospitals and doctors’ offices [are all] with filthy bathrooms and no soap. Doctors and nurses treat patients in facilities with no soap at hand. 

“Quit kidding ourselves. The Western world will not come here knowing what is at hand with CRs. No one with any self-respect from anywhere in the world wants to be trapped in a situation whereby bathrooms are stinking filthy and without soap and water. It will not happen no matter what the slogan is.”

Facebook and Twitter

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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.